The day I told Petula Clark how much I like Downtown

Today is Petula Clark's birthday. Many happy returns.

This gives me the excuse to repeat an anecdote that appeared on this blog in July 2008:

It must have been about 10 years ago, when I was acting as press officer for the Malcolm Saville Society. The Society was planning a visit to West End Farm at Wheathampstead, because that was where the film Trouble at Townsend, based on a book by Saville and starring a very young Petula Clark, was made in 1946. Thanks to the Society, incidentally, you can now buy a DVD of the film. 

Anyway, before the visit I drafted a release about it for the local papers and decided it would look better with a quote from Petula Clark. So I found an e-mail address for her agent and dropped him a line. 

A couple of weeks later my mobile went at work and a voice said "Hello, this is Petula Clark." 

I can therefore boast that I have told Petula Clark what a great record I think "Downtown" is - surely one of the things everyone should do before they die? It may not have been the most tactful thing to say - her reply was "I have made other records, you know" - but I am glad I did it.

What I should have added was that she gave me a good quote for the release.

 Take it away, Pet...