The Scaffold ’ s Lily The Pink hit single , released in November 1968 , became No . 1 in the UK Singles Chart for the four weeks encompassing the Christmas holidays that year , it became a huge playground classic comedy singalong The lyrics celebrate the “ medicinal compound ” invented by Lily the Pink , and chronicle the “ efficacious ” cures it has brought about , such as inducing morbid obesity to cure a weak appetite , and our favourite - a sex change as a remedy for freckles . Who brought this wacky idea to the table , that must have been a laugh ? Lily the Pink was originally a bawdy rugby song that everyone joined in with , they used to sing it in pubs etc . but it was so risqué we would have never got away with it and it would have never been played . So we changed all the words to get it into the charts . We only realised we had a chance of success when Norris Paramor ( he produced Ruby Murray , Cliff Richard and the Shadows … and Lily ) suggested we run the first pressing of Lily over to John Peels house , he played all the new records on his radio one programme . John passed the demo disk to a curly haired boy , played it , listened to the intro and said “ That is number one ” I made him listen to the whole thing and at the end he said “ Yes , I still think its going to be number one .” The curly haired boy agreed . The curly haired boy was Marc Bolan ( T-Rex ).
Everyone of a certain age will remember the Cadbury ’ s Roses TV Ad ( which is still considered the most famous Cadbury ’ s ad of all time ) featured one of your singles ‘ Thank You Very Much ’ ( Which was a huge favourite of then Prime Minister Harold Wilson who was famously a former pupil at Wirral Grammar ), and also THE favourite of the Queen Mother . That must have been quite an honour ? Yes I ’ ve been told that . It was Thank You Very Much for Cadbury Roses ... It was Thank You Very Much for a new kitchen and Thank You Very Much for a new car … so yes , thank you very very very much to Cadbury Roses , I wish they ’ d run it again ! Somebody had told me in the sixties that Prime Minister Harold Wilson was a fan of the song , so I told people this for years and got away with it . Then Radio 4 called me one day as they were doing a programme asking all about ‘ Thank You Very Much ’ and I told them the same ... It was Harold Wilson ’ s favourite record . They said they knew , I asked “ How ?” and they replied “ He told us ”! Years later in 2009 , I was in Scotland at the Castle of May doing a book called ‘ Mike McCartney ’ s North Highlands ’. According to the Majors who control the castle , Thank U was a particular favourite of the Queen Mother . At Christmas time , after dinner the Royals would play and sing along to the song with their children . The Queen Mum would insist on taking one particular line - Thank U Very Much , Thank U Very Much and sing .. ‘ For our gracious Queen ’. I didn ’ t have the heart to tell the Majors that the actual words were Thank U for our ‘ gracious Team ’ i . e . for Liverpool FC !
You ’ re a distinguished photographer , but do you miss performing on stage ? No I don ’ t really miss performing on stage , unless you ’ d like a song now .
What is your favourite photographic subject ? Everything . My camera tells me when to click the shutter . To me photography is when a photograph has to be taken , then its taken .
What ’ s the best image you ’ ve ever shot ? I ’ ve yet to shoot it .
Your twitter account indicates that you have a love of puddings – what is your favourite dessert ? My favourite dessert at home is Mike ’ s Malteser Magic ... mmm ! For all readers here ’ s how to make it . Get a glass , put vanilla ice cream at the bottom , place maltesers on top of that , then add more ice cream and put more maltesers on top and build it up to the top and then pour Baileys all over , delicious . At restaurants I always ask for Crepe Suzettes , you ’ ll never get them , but ask for them . My youngest son , Sonny , who is a photographer in London was in Paris recently and sent me a photo with the caption ‘ I ’ ve found the Crepe Suzettes Dad !’ I love Crepe Suzettes but try and get one anywhere !
Guilty pleasure ? My guilty pleasure is reading Wirral Life whilst eating Crepe Suzettes .
Do you prefer to eat in or out and what ’ s your favourite type of food and your favourite restaurant ? I prefer to eat in as my wife does fab food , but when we eat out ( out ) one of my favourite restaurants is Nisha Katona ’ s Mowgli . Whilst I ’ m eating her delicious Indian Street Food , I like to listen to her husband in the Katona Twins , their guitar music is unbelievable , just like the food . Gusto in Heswall and The Opera Bar and Grill in Chester and The Pen Factory are also amongst my favourites .
What do you love about the Wirral ? It ' s lovely and laid back , with a non-city feeling - you can relax . It has great walks , bike rides and now great restaurants ! To tell you the truth , we used to have to drive to Liverpool to get good restaurants , but now thank god , Wirral has some amazing places .
What ’ s your favourite place on the Wirral ? My home . Overlooking the horses in the fields , the lovely River Dee and the most beautiful sunsets in the world . In the 60 ’ s our kid once offered to get me and Dad a house preferably in London , where he now lives , but Dad said he wanted to live in Heswall . Paul went on “ but Dad , you can live anywhere ”. “ No , Heswall ”, so Heswall it was .
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