Hi again, it seems that you all want to know where the epithet "Tito Gobi of the Balls Pond Road" came from. It was coined by the late John Barker of "The Crayfolk" – one of the founders of Farningham Folk Club. He originally called me the "Maria Callas . . .", but I objected to the gender change and as I was singing mainly as a baritone (in opera and oratorio) those days he changed it to suit the Italian singer. I assume he chose the "Balls Pond Road" bit because it sounded funny – the only vague connection which I can think of with the locality, was a folk club which I visited on the odd occasion
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