Hi George- the post above was three years ago but good to hear from you- hope you're OK-    we're fine, here in Galloway- would probably not have left Ireland but for the feckin Brexit nonsense- we were too near the border. Health is good here in Galloway- naturally isolated & selling soft fruit at the gate & keeping sheep.
   Hope you are still singing & looking forward to the end of this virus & starting Bray singers again?
   Johnson was a great old character- he would ask me to set the tempo before he began- he'd keep his hands behind his back & indicate if my speed was OK or needed to change before he started. He danced to what he called 'Dan Leno's hornpipe'- we would know it better as 'Harvest Home', but very slow...
   We did a week with him at the Sunderland Empire in 1969, with as main guests the stars of the folk scene, like the Spinners. Bob Davenport had the choice of choosing the guests- two were interesting choices. Monday was Miki & Griff and Saturday was the Kinks.
   Johnson asked for two chairs to dance between- he was aged 69 at the time- I asked if he was having a problem- he said 'why no man, it's jist for a bit o' sympathy'- ever the showman!
He also said he'd been at the Empire before- as a 10 year old as mascot with his dad, as support for Jackie Coogan!