Stories Of London

The Way We Were (version 1)

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What follows are some memories and reflections by Jackie’s daughters, Amanda and Julie:

Amanda & Julie

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Beryl, Jackie, Amanda & Julie at the Theatre Organ of the Granada Theatre Tooting

Amanda Cerrettini-Brown remembers her father:

One of my earliest memories is of being whisked away from playing in our back garden on a sunny Sunday afternoon and into a dark, cavernous auditorium on the other side of London. We’d sit in silence for what seemed like forever.

Then …..  we’d hear a distant rumble… A few notes, echoing from the bowels of the earth …..

And suddenly, the pit would open and the mighty Wurlitzer would appear, soaring up through the stage, Dad sitting atop it like the pilot of an enormous musical spacecraft, belting out Great Day or his signature tune of John Brown’s Body.

Jackie beginning one of his concerts

And no matter how many times I witnessed this magical moment, it always took my breath away!

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Dad literally filled our house with instruments including a baby grand piano, an upright piano, a trumpet, a clarinet, a piano accordion and even the console of a cinema organ, which occupied our entire garage like a huge beast thereby relegating the family car to the street! Dad played all of these instruments including the organ, which of course had no pipes! He tried to teach us how to play them all and Julie turned out to be an excellent clarinetist, as are her eldest and youngest daughters today.

Amanda trying to play Jackie’s Trumpet

I particularly loved to hear Dad play the piano accordion; he drew so much emotion from that instrument. He bought us each a harmonica and I remember him showing us how to play them. I remember, as I listened to those haunting and melancholy sounds, tears formed in my eyes and a lump developed in my throat.

Every piece of music Dad played was literally filled with heart and soul, whatever the instrument. I think that’s what drew so many people to love his performances and why they always spoke about the lush, romantic sounds he created with the theatre organ.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

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Dad had an incredibly wide repertoire of music, everything from classical to jazz, pop and standard ballads together with, of course, his own compositions.

Welcome Aboard written by Jackie and played here by Andrew Gilbert

We’d often listen to him practising for various concerts I particularly remember him practising the Widor Toccata for weeks on end, such a complex piece to master and he lost his patience with certain sections many times, but eventually he mastered it with his usual determination and passion.

Widor’s Toccata – Conclusion of the First Movement played by Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
on the Alexandra Palace Organ, 7 March 1930

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When I was around ten or eleven years old, I discovered Reggae Music and spent all my money on records. I was amazed when Dad told me he had actually played the organ on a few Reggae records, accompanying various stars in session. I don’t remember who they were but I do remember that for a few brief glorious moments, I was the coolest girl in school! A Dad who played Reggae, how cool was that!

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We grew up surrounded by the Gershwin or Cole Porter compositions that Dad loved to play, such as Rhapsody in Blue or From This Moment On, as well as songs like Great Day and Old Man River. Everyone in the family had their favourite pieces and we’d beg him to play them for us. Granny (mum’s mum Grace, who lived with us) always wanted Autumn Leaves and Julie and I loved Butterflies in the Rain.

Jackie playing Rhapsody in Blue

Jackie playing Autumn Leaves

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Once when we were little, Dad played a summer season at the Winter Gardens in Margate and we went night after night to see the show. There were many stars of the time appearing on stage, such as Arthur Askey, Val Doonican and a host of exotic dancers in feathered and sequinned costumes. But my favourite act was the man who spun a plate on top of an extremely long pole, as Dad accompanied him with suitably tense and dramatic music. I always hoped the man would drop the plate, but he never did!

We also loved to watch Dad on the various television programmes that he appeared in. I remember in particular, Double Your Money with Hughie Green and Monica Rose, who often came to visit us. Once I remember Dad coming home with a bright orange neck! The advent of colour television meant everyone was now required to wear heavy make-up and Dad had forgotten to wash his off!

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Dad always enjoyed taking the family out for dinner when he wasn’t working and he especially loved our local Italian restaurant, as well as Chinese food. He very patiently taught us how to use chopsticks and would twirl the sticks around like a conductor with a baton, much to our amusement!

He did do some cooking after Mum left home and the results were often interesting! I remember him making a kind of stir-fry, of all the things, that was made of a variety of things left in the fridge and cupboards including a random selection of vegetables plus a can of tuna. The surprise ingredient on this occasion was a banana! It sounds quite weird and we couldn’t stop laughing, but it was actually rather tasty. Perhaps in another life, Dad would have had a career as an avant-garde chef!

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Julie and I both loved swimming and Dad would often take us to the local pool. He looked hilarious in his old-fashioned pale blue swim shorts, which would fill with air when he entered the water, puffing up like a balloon! Mum repeatedly tried to get him to buy a pair of the small tight trunks that were popular in the 1960s and 70s but he refused point blank. He taught us to swim at a very early age (I was 3 when he first taught me in Spain) and he always loved being in the water with us, splashing us and throwing us in the air.

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Dad loved animals, and in particularly our family dogs, Skipper (who Dad had brought home as a puppy from someone at the pub, before we were born) and Fisa, the dog that Julie was given after playing at the Farfisa Concert in 1968. Both dogs loved Dad and we often went out with him to take Fisa for a walk. He instilled in us a great deal of respect for animals and made sure that we took good care of the various pets that we had over the years, such as hamsters, guinea pigs and goldfish. He also respected wild animals. Once, whilst flying high on a swing in a pub garden at sunset, a passing bat got caught in my very long hair. I was screaming with terror. Dad ran out of the bar to calm me down and untangle the poor bat. As the bat flew off, I shouted at it, but Dad told me it was a living creature that had as much right to be in the air as I did, if not more! I was in the bat’s space, not the other way around.

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His love of cars (the faster, the better) is something that everyone who knew him remarked upon. When Julie and I were small, Dad owned a beautiful and rare Morgan sports car, which I adored ride in.

Mum, Me & The Morgan (and a Family Car to the left)

Of course, we had a regular family car, but the Morgan was Dad’s pride and joy. I wouldn’t go to sleep at night until Dad came home, scooped me up in my pyjamas and popped me into the car wearing his racing goggles and sped around the neighbourhood streets for as long as it took for me to fall asleep. Our poor mum must have been worried sick but, Dad was an expert driver and no harm was going to come to his precious little daughter (or his Morgan for that matter!).

A Family Car

He often used to take us to Brands Hatch or occasionally to Silverstone race track to watch the races and, as a younger man, he used to race 500 cc (equivalent to Formula Three) cars so had considerable knowledge about the cars themselves, as well as a large group of friends who were involved in the races. His love of fast cars endured throughout his life and also extended to motorbikes. He once took us for a memorable holiday to the Isle of Man, specifically so we could watch the TT Races. We were fascinated by all the local folklore (such as having to say Good Morning Fairies!  every time you crossed the bridge, in order for the fairies to grant you good luck). But Dad was only interested in the bikes speeding around the Snaefell Mountain Course, the most dangerous motorbike race in the world.

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Many people have commented on how big-hearted and generous Dad was as a person and this was certainly my experience of him. Once he stopped at a bus stop to give an elderly couple a lift in the pouring rain, even though we already had a full car. So we kids were pushed onto laps to make room for them and although I’m sure they were very grateful to get home dry, they were somewhat alarmed by the speed at which they arrived! He was always the first to buy everyone drinks at the pub and often the last as well. He was also incredibly spontaneous, which was often a bit of a surprise to us, especially when he’d just turn up unannounced at school and whisk us off to the park, or gather several of our friends and take us all swimming, or to get ice cream. Our friends’ parents weren’t like that! They worked regular hours and had routines that didn’t change, but since Dad usually worked weekends and evenings, he often had time during the day and loved to spend it with us.

Spending time in the garden

However, his being spontaneous meant that sometimes an organised treat or day out just didn’t happen and this was a disappointment to us. I remember once sitting on our front door step with Julie and wearing our swimsuits and carrying our towels, waiting for what seemed like forever for him to take us to the pool. He had decided to do some work at the last minute, and was holed up in his office, deep in concentration, accompanied by a bottle of whisky. Every so often I’d go in there to remind him and ask him how long he’d be and his answer was always the same ……. I’ll be out in a minute! The minute would stretch into hours and we’d eventually give up and go and play under the sprinkler in the back garden instead.

His spontaneity was definitely evident in his music – leaping onto the organ to play an entire set without any rehearsal whatsoever or bringing out an unexpected new arrangement to delight the audience, as many of his peers and journalistic reviews mentioned.

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When we were little, I sometimes wished we had a more normal dad, one who had a regular job, came home for tea and was free at weekends. But now I realise just how lucky we were to have had such an inspirational, creative and open-minded Dad who instilled in us a love of music and a curiosity for everything around us. He taught us to notice the little things, drawing our attention to the surprising and fascinating world we lived in. He wasn’t afraid to be passionate or emotional in his everyday life as well as in his music.

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Amanda and her Husband, Danilo
Right: Together outside their restaurant in Valencia, Spain

Left: Amanda & Danilo in their restaurant, Anómalo; Right: the exterior of the Restaurant
The exterior of the Restaurant has a mural, which has become quite famous and is visited by a number of people during walking tours. The name, Anómalo, in English means Anomalous ……. something unusual or unexpected and out of the ordinary

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Julie Channon remembers her father:

I remember when I was very young, standing next to the piano (my chin could just reach to rest on the side of the piano), and Dad trying to teach me all about Tetrachords. Needless to say, at three years of age, it went completely over my head!

Dad wrote an Octave Exercise for me to help stretch my fingers to play Octaves when I was learning to play the piano.

Jackie’s Octave Exercise written for Julie

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When we lived in Bromley, we had an organ in the entrance hall. One day I ran in from school and threw my coat on the organ. Dad bellowed. Oi! That’s not a bloody hat stand!, to which I replied, It’s not a bloody hat! I was brave to reply like that, as Dad had rather a fearsome temper, but he dissolved into fits of laughter (thankfully).

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Another time, soon after I started Judo lessons, he said: Okay, show me what you’ve been learning. So, I did! I threw Dad onto the floor! He was not so amused that time!!!

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I remember going into Dad’s office and playing in the background whilst he was writing. In it, there was an old Pinball Machine that you had to put a penny in to make it work. We had a few of the old bun pennies with the hole in the middle that we would use, and then ask Dad to open it up and give us back the pennies so we could play again.

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One weekend, we travelled up to London, where Dad was playing at the Russell Hotel. As we were coming down the stairs, Mum spoke to a gentleman she recognised, asking how he was, to which he replied, “Very well, thank you”. As he walked away, Dad said: I wasn’t aware you knew Gordon Banks (1937-2019), the English Goalkeeper. Mum knew his face and had assumed he was a musician!

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Dad was also a fabulous jazz trumpeter, and Mandy and I loved listening to him. He also played the banjo. In fact, any instrument he picked up he could instantly play. Such a gift! I still have Dad’s trumpet, but never learnt to play.

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Both Mandy and I had piano lessons, but I was the only one to learn the organ with Dad as teacher. In 1967, when I was 8 years old, Dad was working for Farfisa Organs (UK) and the Western Music Company Limited and Rank Audio Visual Limited  organised the first Swingalong Farfisa Concert at the Royal Festival Hall. In addition to Dad and Macrosignori, I was invited to play a short piece on one of the organs provided by Farfisa Organs (UK).  I played an arrangement by Dad of Edelweiss from The Sound of Music.

Julie with her Father and Marcosignori and other performers at the Swingalong Farfisa Concert
at The Royal Festival Hall (1967).

I remember that Mum bought me a new dress of brown velvet with a white lace yoke and trimmings on the sleeves. I was very nervous when I realized how big the theatre was and how many people would be there, but Dad said, Don’t think about it, just enjoy the music. I remember somebody gave me a tiny little bee on the end of a bendy wire for good luck and I fastened it to the music stand so I could see it when I played.

Afterwards, I was presented me with a brand-new bicycle! I was very excited to have this wonderful gift and rode it round the corridors of the theatre!

The following year I was asked to play at the second Swingalong Farfisa Concert. This time Mum bought me a green corduroy dress with what we called bell bottom sleeves. We started driving and had only got a few roads away from the house when Dad discovered that I had brought my hamster with me.  He was non-too-pleased, as we had to turn round and take the hamster home!

After this concert I was presented with a beautiful black puppy whom I named Fisa after the Farfisa Organ I had played. Although Mum and Dad must have known that I was to be given a dog, but they said nothing to me, and so Fisa came as a huge surprise. I was very happy!

Julie & Fisa

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Dad also played at a few Pontins and Butlins Holiday Camps. And one such time he was accompanying Val Doonican. At the end of the show, Val came to ask if I was alright because I was sobbing. Dad told him I always became very emotional with music, and they were tears of happiness. Mandy and I thought it wonderful to meet so many famous people.

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Once, when we were on holiday in Italy, Mandy and I had gone off on our own to do some shopping, leaving Mum and Dad at the hotel. A few hours later, while walking back, we heard a familiar tune being played in a café, and there was Dad, sitting at a piano, entertaining everyone.

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In 1970, Mum, Mandy and I moved to Southwick, five months after Dad. We lived in a house at Beach Green, on Shoreham Beach, Shoreham-by-Sea. I remember Mandy and I used to walk about fifty yards to the beach and catch shrimps in our nets and mussels from the breakwaters and then take them home to be cooked. I remember Dad also loved oysters and tripe. Coming home from school to the smell of tripe cooking was disgusting!

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As Mum was also working at Southern organs, I often went to the shop to see them after school and would play the organs. Dad was always excited to show me any new organ that came in. I used to spend hours and hours on Saturdays at the shop playing the various organs. I remember one day trying to write a piece of music, but getting stuck with the middle section. A young lad, Andy Gilbert, was there and he kindly helped me to write the middle. We called the piece, Rhapsody in Brown.  Andy also spent a long time at the shop, and we often played duets together.

Rhapsody in Brown played by Andrew Gilbert

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During Dad’s time at Southern Organs, he demonstrated the organs and taught in the Studio Section adjacent to the Showroom. In addition, he played at many concerts at various venues including pubs and clubs, most of which I went to. Sometimes, towards the end, he would ask me to come up and play something with him. I always remember how generous Dad was, always buying rounds of drinks for everyone. I was very impressed by the way everyone in every pub knew him.

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We only lived at Shoreham Beach for a couple of years, then moved to a council flat above the Co-Op in Southwick Square, in the next block along from the Southern Organs store. When the scandal came to light surrounding Southern Organs, many people found themselves financially ruined. Thankfully, the problems of the company only came to light the year after Dad died. I was only 14 when Dad died, so wasn’t aware of all that happened, but have since learned more about it.

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I have many of Dad’s records, as well as recordings of his Radio Broadcasts, but have only been able to listen to them in recent years as they brought back painful memories for me. I regret leaving it so long, as I have wasted years that I could have been listening to them, and sharing the wonderful music Dad created with my family. Some of my favourite pieces are: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Rhapsody in Blue, and the theme from the television series, The Onedin Line (an excerpt from The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)).

The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia played by The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra

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I have many of Dad’s records, as well as recordings of his Radio Broadcasts, but have only been able to listen to them in recent years as they brought back painful memories for me. I regret leaving it so long, as I have wasted the years that I could have been listening to them and sharing the wonderful music Dad created with my family. Some of my favourite pieces are: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Rhapsody in Blue, and the theme from the television series, The Onedin Line, which was an adaptation of The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).

The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia played by The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra

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As someone said of Dad’s playing: The selection and blending of tone colours is an art gained through long periods of experiment and experience at the Console. It is an essentially personal art form, a kind of musical dialogue between player and instrument. When, for example, one was privileged to hear the late Jackie Brown play that wonderful Wurlitzer at the Granada Theatre Tooting, one felt one was listening almost to a conversation between two old friends.

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For some time after Dad died, I didn’t want to play the piano, but a boyfriend encouraged me to go return to having piano lessons. I did and studied with a man, Mr. John Evison,  and eventually I sat for the Grade 5 Trinity College Examination and passed. I had sat other examinations before when I was much younger both in piano and recorder. After studying for sometime, Mr. Evison  offered me a scholarship to attend Trinity College. He evidently believed that I had the makings of a concert pianist. However, I was only 16-years of age at this time and felt that I was not ready to leave home and move to London. And so I declined the offer.

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Soon after a cousin came to visit from Australia and I holidayed with him and another cousin. We traveled round the West Country in a van for 2 weeks. He told me all about Australia and I decide I wanted to go and see the country for myself. I applied to emigrate soon after, but once I found a new boyfriend, I gave the idea up. I had always wanted to go to live in Canada as Dad had loved it so much. As a result, I also toyed with the idea of emigrating there and began looking for positions as a Nanny.

However, before anything came up Mum said she wanted to move to Australia and spend time with her sister Myra (who had moved there in the 1960’s with her husband and children). Mum asked if I would like to come as well. As the idea sounded good, I decided to join her, and we moved on May the 9^th, 1981. We stayed with Aunt Myra and Uncle Doug for a few weeks until we found a flat of our own in Manly.

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In 1983, I married my first husband and had four children: Kirby (who is 38 years old now), Tracey (36), Raymond (34) and Jacqueline (30). We were together for 11 years. In 1999, I married my second husband, Andrew, and we had a daughter, Alexandra (22).

Standing, from left to right: Kirby, Tracey, Raymond, Jacqueline & Alexandra
Seated, from left to right: Amanda, Mum & me

Andrew & me

We continue to live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Music is still a very large part of my life, as I sing in two choirs and occasionally play the Pipe Organ at church.

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Mum’s 90th Birthday – with a ’20’s Theme

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I sincerely thank Dad for giving me such a love of music from an early age and God for giving me the gift to play.

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Nephews and Nieces remember their Uncle Jackie:

Myra, was our mother’s (Beryl) older sister. She and her family emigrated to Australia when we were still very young. Since Myra and Beryl wanted to live near each other, Julie and Mum eventually moved there too in 1981.

Myra had five children: Alan Ashman, the eldest; next came twins, Dave Ashman and Shena Richards; followed by Jill Shackleton; and finally Keith Ashman, the youngest.

Daphne Cooper is also a cousin, as her father, Tom, was Beryl’s elder brother.

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Shena Richards remembers:

Jackie was my Uncle and was married to my Aunt Beryl who was my mother’s sister. I have many childhood memories of Uncle Jackie, but the one that stands out mostly in my mind is as follows:

I remember a sunny, summer English day. I was at my Granny’s house in London. Uncle Jackie and Aunty Beryl picked me up from there in a sports car. I think I was four years old. They took me shopping and bought me a new dress. It was a black and white gingham dress with some yellow smocking along the bodice. They also bought me a new red cardigan. I can still remember that exciting feeling. I was one of five children so new clothes were certainly not a frequent thing! This day was such a treat for me. I don’t think it was my birthday, but it was a long time ago, perhaps in 1953.

Uncle Jackie and Aunty Beryl then took me back to their home. I remember standing with my Auntie Beryl when the telephone rang. She told me to pick it up and helped me answer it. It was Uncle Jackie calling. He told me how pretty I looked in my new dress and what a lovely white bow I had in my hair. I didn’t know where he was and I thought it was magic because he could describe what I was wearing. It transpired that they had two telephones in their home and that he was just up the hall. How posh to have two phones!! We didn’t have a phone at all! I needed both my little hands to hold the big black handpiece.

Uncle Jackie was such a big man to me as I was a very little person all those years ago. His heart was as big as him. He was kind, generous and we were all so proud to have a famous Uncle.

When I was fourteen years old, my family moved to Australia. We have had a wonderful life here, but I will always remember our younger days growing up in England with our Uncles, Aunties, Grandparents and cousins. We missed them very, very much. Uncle Jackie was truly a large part of my childhood.

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Jill Shackleton remembers:

As a child, I remember my uncle Jackie as a very big man. He created a presence when he came into the room – he seemed so strong and so powerful along with a big voice. I remember him playing the organ in the foyer of their beautiful house in Bromley.

We would often go over there for Sunday lunch. Whilst Auntie Beryl was cooking lunch, he would often take us children down to the pub where he had a beer. We all sat in the car. He always had a variety of cars. Some sedans, some sports cars, some tiny cars. A wonderful collection which would give any car enthusiast absolute delight. Whilst in the car waiting for him, he brought out bags of crisps and bottles of Coca Cola. I remember so well the little blue bag of salt in with the crisps. I had never had a bottle of Coca Cola prior to our first outing. It was a huge treat. I have absolutely no idea how long we sat in the car, but we were so delighted to have crisps and Coke, that we didn’t care. He was always very generous. We thought he was so rich!

Uncle Jackie loved his dog, Skipper. He often made us laugh because he would suddenly yell out CATS! in a huge voice and the poor dog would race back and forth in the house barking while looking for cats!

I remember that we, me and my four siblings, were all staying there one night and we were misbehaving and running backwards and forwards from bedroom to bedroom across a big hallway. Uncle Jackie came up the stairs and called out to us in his big booming voice and we all jumped back into bed and didn’t utter another word. During my retreat, I had actually slipped over and wacked my ear on the edge of something very hard. I didn’t say anything and cowered in my bed barely daring to breathe. The next morning my ear was purple in colour!

I remember him offering me half-a-crown if I could manage to stop talking for 5 minutes. That was about 2 or 3 week’s pocket money at the time. Sadly, I didn’t make it. I was disappointed with myself. I begged for a second chance, but to no avail. We knew where we stood with him and we learnt how to behave in his house.

I didn’t see him for many years, as our family moved to Sydney in Australia in 1963 when I was 12 years old. I did catch up with him in 1974 when he was living in Brighton. His life was quite different by this time. Sadly, he died shortly afterwards.

My memories of him are very happy. I’m sorry for his family that he died so very young. He shared his birthday with my father.

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Alan Ashman remembers:

As a youngster I thought Uncle Jackie was different to our other relatives. Although I have fond memories of all of them, there was something about his attitude that I really liked which set him apart. He wasn’t a nine-to-five person.  He didn’t have breakfast, lunch and dinner at normal times. He was generous (not a word you would use to describe most Scotsmen!) and allowed me to kick a football around his well-manicured garden in Bromley. He was a very talented man and was quite famous. I remember him playing a number of musical instruments, but was especially great on the piano and organ.

We always thought of Uncle Jackie and Aunt Beryl as our rich relations! I always thought it nice that he had his mother-in-law (my grandmother) and his brother-in-law (my uncle) living in his house. As I said before, he had a generous nature.

Perhaps my favourite memory of Uncle Jackie was of him sliding around the corners of cobblestone roads in his Morgan sports car. He took me out in it a few times when I was about thirteen years old. He drove fast and was able to slide the car on purpose! However, I had no doubts that he was in complete control of the vehicle at all time! He always told me you had to brake going into corners and accelerate out. I loved it and to this day I still drive too fast! I’m not really sure if I can blame him for that or not! He was a great bloke to have as an uncle. Thanks for the memories Jackie.

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Keith Ashman remembers: