JUST when writer Ron Cassidy began researching jazz man Chris Barber, he discovered another author had a book about the trombone player well under way. So Cassidy turned his spotlight on Barber's wife instead and, in Ottilie Patterson, he discovered a much richer story. As a teenager at Regent House she was described as a precocious child. She had a natural aptitude for piano-playing and a love of art. She recalls that one day, shopping with her mother in North Street Arcade, wearing her best blue Sunday coat and matching hat, she took her savings, all five shillings, and bought WC Handy's Blues Folio, which opened up the world of blues and jazz. Alabama-born Handy worked with his colleagues on a 'shovel brigade' in a local furnace making music as they beat shovels, altering the tone while thrusting and withdrawing the metal against the iron buggies and singing to the rhythms. It came from the soul. "Southern Negroes sang about everything," he said. "They accompanied themselves on anything from which they could extract a musical sound or rhythmical effect and set the mood for what we call the blues." And this became Ottilie Patterson's meat and drink. "You sing just like one of us," was a compliment from a black lady in Chicago, a compliment she treasured.
This book, Ottilie Star of County Down (the 'The' must have got lost in translation) charts Ottilie's career until her death in 2011 at the age of 79. But the interesting thing is, although Cassidy's book is a great insight into the woman and her life, it's a long dining room table in Comber that holds hundreds of Patterson secrets, a table in the home of Erskine Willis. As a young man, Erskine did his dancing in Belfast but his friends
in Comber talked about local dances and this girl with the great voice. When he bought his first record it was an EP (extended player) of Chris Barber and his band and an unidentified girl singing Careless Love. Immediately, Erskine knew it was Ottilie but to this day he can't understand why, when even the writers of the song got a mention on the sleeve, the singer didn't. This local historian has successfully put that right by collecting her memorabilia and subscribing to books and radio programmes to keep her talents alive. It's a wonder to leaf through Ottilie's albums, to read telegrams of congratulations, see intimate pictures of herself and her husband; Ottilie with her Latvian-born mother; with her pet dog and, above all, her own writings in meticulous Olde English script calligraphy. There are her poems, her sketches, autographs of the stars and the words of the songs she made famous.
Erskine, who, with John Andrews, organised a plaque to be placed at Ottilie's family home in Comber and a sell-out tribute concert when she died, is used to people knocking on his door to get the real low-down on our most famous jazz singer.
Charity Awareness
Dear Anne, My husband's uncle died last year and left a lot of money to several charities and Trocaire was the only one which acknowledged it and sent a lovely letter to say thank you. It's a pity major Northern Ireland charities never say thanks - they do so much good work but they are turning the public against them for not acknowledging donations. There's so much competition between them and so little roughness of money one would think it a priority to say thanks. Newry Reader.
What is this Pill?
Dear Anne, I've been told about a pill you can buy over the counter to help Alzheimer's but don't know the name.
Bob. I think you're talking about Homocysteine and you can read for yourself on the internet what this formula claims. It is very unwise to rush into taking anything you don't understand, making a decision purely on what you've heard from other people. Now you have the name, you can make enquiries from your doctor who knows you and whether Homocysteine would be beneficial in your case. This pill can be bought without a prescription and I'm sure there are warning notes about side-effects so, at the very least, read these carefully but my advice is to consult your GP.
I've talked to two people taking Homocysteine. One thinks it might help, the other hasn't found any real difference although he's delighted that he now remembers to take his pills.
Sensitive Subject
Dear Anne I saw my friend's husband with a young girl in a bar - they were talking. He saw me and looked embrassed.
Do I tell his wife?
Anon.
Difficult, Anon. You have no idea who she was and what they were talking about, so don't jump to conclusions. The fact that he saw you will make him uneasy; if he is misbehaving, he may well approach you and this will give you a chance to put your point of view, that it looked suspicious and that you hope he isn't cheating on your friend. But be careful; you could do a lot of damage if you begin accusing him of something you only suspect. You don't say if it was day or evening, how close you are to your friend, what his job is - after all, it might be quite natural for him to have a drink after work with a colleague. Your friend might well be aware of the arrangement. You just don't know. Others might tell you to inform your friend and it's up to you at the end of the day. If she confides in you that she's worried there's something going on, there might be a case for advising her to ask him who he was with the day you saw him in the bar, but pointing out that they were only chatting and you had no reason to think there was any special relationship between them.
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to Ulster Television on Halloween night. Can you believe it - 54 years?!