AS a young woman in post-war London, my mum loved nothing better than going to The Palladium to see the stars.

Money was tight but after her shifts working on The London Underground, she bought tickets for the cheap seats – "up in the gods" – to watch the greats perform on the West End stage.

Nat King Cole, Johnny Ray, Guy Mitchell, Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, and Vera Lynn were among them, with Matt Monro – The Singing Bus Driver – coming along a few years later as another who made her heart flutter.

She'd often go alone but, sometimes, she'd take her niece, Janis, along for a treat.

My mum’s 94 now, and it annoys her that her memory isn't what it used to be, but she still goes to The London Palladium – more or less every........

© The Northern Echo