The Singing Postman

In 1966 a novelty song by Allan Smethurst who was known as the Singing Postman entered the charts and stayed there for nine weeks. That song, sung in the Norfolk dialect was called "Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy?" as Allan, although born in Lancashire in 1927, was brought up in Sheringham in Norfolk. He went on to record many more songs before quitting the music business in 1970.


Allan died in 2000 but when I saw the above notice scrawled on a newly erected board outside the Larklands Hotel my first thought was "The Singing Postman is alive and well and performing in Ilkeston." On second thoughts, it's probably just a spelling mistake but a few months ago when passing a pub in Spondon and unfortunately unable to take a photo as I was on a bus at the time, I did spot another sign there advertising a "femail vocalist". Mail or femail, I just hope their song delivery was not second class! But mistake or not, it did serve to remind me of the delights and songs of Allan Smethurst.

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. James Joyce (1882 - 1941)