»» A BLAST FROM THE PAST (& PRESENT) «« 

A picture taken (over 50 years ago!) at a ‘Gospel’ Show, in Surrey. Centre stage is the Star of the Show 

the ever-young-looking…. (bespectacled) Cliff Richard. On this occasion Cliff was ably supported by

a very popular, locally-based, Cabaret/Folk/Gospel trio called ‘The New Countryfolk’.

On the right of the picture (on guitar) is Heather Lee, and Centre-Stage (on Double Bass) is

Wendy Andrews. On the left of the picture (on banjo) is ……. you’ve probably guessed by now ….

a youthful-looking Chris !!  Isn’t he thin….and look at all that hair !!   Hey-Ho, those were the days !!

And here are a very smiley Chris & Wendy with the (then) Bishop of Guildford

(‘playing’ Heather’s guitar …that’s Heather’s shoulder in the bottom left-hand corner !!)

during a very successful recital at Guildford Cathedral on Easter Monday 1969

(the pic was in the Daily Mail the next day …… oooOOOooo !!)

Sadly, we lost touch for many years, but then (through the wonders of the internet) we ‘found’ each other

so, here we are again (without Cliff, or a Bishop, this time !), taken at a re-union, in September 2011.

It was the first time we’d actually sung together for many years….and it was amazing !!

Wendy (bass player) on the left, Heather (guitarist) on the right, and me in the middle !!

What a weekend we had … wonderful company, and wonderful music !!

It’s quite incredible that, after so many years, all three of us are still involved in Church music

…….I am even an Authorised (Music) Lay Minister in the Diocese of Ely !!

(the Good Lord works in a mysterious way at times !!) –

We've continued to keep in touch, mainly on Zoom, as Heather lives in Devon, Wendy in West Sussex, and Gina and I live in Cambridgeshire!  We have had a couple more re-unions and have sung well. Unfortunately, in more recent times, Heather has (very frustratingly for her) lost her singing voice, but we've found a 'solution' and Gina has taken over the top-line part of the trio! At Heather's 80th birthday celebration, in 2024, we gathered down in Devon, with lots of Heather's more local friends, and enjoyed a wonderful evening with lots of wonderful food and plenty of singing, including the 're-vamped' New Countryfolk. I'm delighted to say that it all went very well!