Today’s song is ‘Secret Love’; a song composed by Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for the 1953 musical film’ Calamity Jane’ in which it was introduced by ‘Doris Day’ in the title role. Ranked as a Number 1 hit for Day on both the ‘Billboard’ and ‘Cash Box’, the song also afforded Doris Day a Number 1 hit in the UK. ‘Secret Love’ has subsequently been recorded by a wide range of artists, becoming a hit for Slim Whitman, Freddy Fender and Kathy Kirby.
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Sheila and I married on my 70th birthday and it was this song sung by Kathy Kirby that was played as background music on the video made of our wedding. It has always been a favourite song for both me and Sheila, even before we knew each other, though we'd have to admit that we prefer the Doris Day version of the song.
It is also an appropriate record to dedicate to my brother Patrick today in celebration of his 70th birthday. Without going into Patrick’s history too much, his most emphatic trait is certainly one of ‘secrecy’.
Whatever is going on in Patrick's life, he never lets on; even to his brothers and sisters. I also strongly suspect that he only tells his wife, Elaine, whatever he has withheld from telling her, only when she learns by other means and seeks confirmation of the fact, and he is unable to withhold it a moment longer. And as far as his brothers and sisters are concerned, he never tells us a thing about his life!
Indeed, he could be deciding how to spend the £10 million he won on the lottery seven years ago and has kept quiet about to all and sundry ever since! Or he might even be separating or divorcing from his lovely wife, Elaine for all we know, It is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could have a terminal illness that he is keeping secret from all his family and be in the process of dying. Were this the case, we wouldn’t know until we’d attended his funeral! If ever Patrick has to go into hospital, we never learn the nature of his illness, and we never know about his hospital admission until a month after his discharge date. Indeed, the only thing I have ever heard Patrick tell one of his siblings is “Get the next round in, it’s your turn!”
I have long had my suspicions about the secret life of my brother Patrick, and my best guess would be that he has probably worked for MI5 or MI6 for most of his life, For all his family know, he could even be a spy working for Moscow as his socialist credentials have always been extreme in view. On the other hand, he might be a bigamist living a double life between Windybank Estate and Wigan as he tries to juggle his family responsibilities between two wives and three children at each side of the Pennines. That explanation would at least make sense of his weekly absence every fortnight as he continues to share himself fairly between both unsuspecting households. And then, there is always the likeliest reason why a person aged 70 keeps secrets that he takes to his grave; the clandestine affair he has conducted with a widowed lollipop from Liverpool for the past thirty years.
Enjoy your day, brother and I hope it is filled with much love, happiness…and… lots of cake and ale. From your older brother Billy, who is the opposite to you insomuch as I still possess a full set of teeth and wear my own hair which has never seen a bottle of Grecian 2000. Also, I am someone who has less chance of keeping a secret and telling an untruth than you have of even finding it unwrapped in an honesty box and recognising it for what it is. By the way, brother Patrick, it was lovely seeing you and all my brothers and sisters last Sunday for a few drinks in Cleckheaton to celebrate the joint birthdays of yourself and sister Susan in advance of your special day.
I will end this post with a secret of mine, Patrick. You have always been my favourite sibling, but whatever you do, I'm sure that I can rely on you not to tell the other five brothers and sisters. Mum's the word. The next round is on you. Love Big brother Billy x
https://youtu.be/4J_MCxMjcP4
Love and peace Bill xxx