AN Urmston war veteran has become the oldest singer in town.

Ex-SAS soldier Tom Norfolk, 91, of Royle Higginson Court, has come to crooning late in life, after deciding he wanted to leave a lasting lyrical legacy for his family.

Tom's singing voice has so impressed the technicians and sound people at Gorse Hill Studios, that he is now well into recording his first album.

Tom said: "The singing seems to run in the family and when a nephew from South Wales told me he had recorded some songs, I thought, anything he can do I can do better!"

In an endeavour to ensure that his family including his seven great grandchildren can hear his voice in the future, he has recorded five tracks of some of his favourite singers, which include Richard Tauber and Nati King Cole.

He explained: "By recording these songs, I feel like I am leaving a bit of myself behind."

Gorse Hill Studio's Ottilia Ordog said: "We were very happy to record his last request, but he is definitely the oldest artiste I have worked with. As a singer Tom has a really good voice.

 

Mr Norfolk, who was born in Lye was one of eight children, and moved to Manchester aged three won a scholarship to Ducie Avenue School.

Aged 15 he was taken out of school by his dad Thomas and worked at a law stationers in Manchester before moving to Birmingham to work at Birmingham Small Arms.

After serving in both the Dorchester Regiment and the Manchester Regiment, he became one of the first recruits in 1942 to the Special Air Service(SAS), which had been formed the year previous.

Tom, who speaks German and French, worked on operations in Northern Italy, Austria and Algiers.

He left the army in 1952 and worked in a variety of jobs including bus conductor, a Ministry of Defence policeman in Patricroft and a security man at Manchester's Kendal Milne.

Tom adds: I have singing in my genes and although I will be dead and gone, a member of the family will always put on the CD and sing along with me to some of my favourite songs."