The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #141616   Message #3466475
Posted By: GUEST,roderick warner
15-Jan-13 - 11:39 AM
Thread Name: Roadstars Busking in Leicester Square 1960s
Subject: RE: Roadstars Busking in Leics. Square 1960s
Hi CJB - finally got to watch that clip as backtracked here looking for some info on the Happy Wanderers for someone. Except it looks as if they made a mistake in the documenting. The guy talking at the beginning is Ronnie Ross, of the Road Stars and later solo, but the drum in the section where they are busking in Leicester Square says: The Happy Wanderers. Some confusion! The accordion player's name was Mikky, if I remember correctly. Wonder if they borrowed the drum or maybe there is a connection I don't know. The Wanderers, as in their name, tended to walk slowly up and down playing, especially on Oxford Street but I guess all over. Ron needed a static pitch for his tap-dancing act. Nice to see his wife Peg and one of his sons. When I knew Ron a couple of years later she was bottling (collecting) so I assume at this time she was still at home. Ron had three sons, two by Peg and an older boy - the actor Joe Melia as Ron's original surname was Melia. Ron and Peg both gone now, unfortunately, died end of the 80s. Thanks again for this - a real find...