A FORMER choir boy who refused to sing for 45 years after a bad experience on stage has picked up the microphone once again – and is pipping young stars to the post at the grand old age of 82.

Arthur Plumb, of Davyhulme, is headed for the bright lights of Blackpool after securing a place in the regionals of a singing competition held by national casino chain Grosvenor.

On a whim, he entered local heats at the Didsbury casino and won judges over with his smooth Rat Pack-style serenading, beating off competition from more than a dozen young singers.

He is now gearing himself up for the next round in the entertainment capital of the North on Friday May 20.

The great-grandfather said: “I’m not nervous, I just get on with it. Everybody really enjoyed my performance and I thought it was an achievement at my age. I was up against people in their twenties – polished musicians – so I was astounded when I got through, I didn’t think I had a chance.

“Everyone thinks you should just sit back with your slippers on when you’re older, watch TV, read and fall asleep – but you have to keep the mind active and get out there and do something.”

With flawless renditions of Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life, Bobby Darin’s Mack the Knife and even Robbie Williams’ Angels, one would assume that Arthur had a lifetime of singing under his belt – but this isn’t the case.

Originally from Cambridge, Arthur is a former cathedral choir boy who came to Manchester in the early 40s, where he joined several choirs. However, his love for singing ground to a halt when he was 15.

Arthur’s voice broke during a performance on stage and he vowed never to sing again. That is until he had a life-changing experience.

He suffered a heart attack at 60 and his doctor urged him to embrace life and do what he enjoyed.

“I went to singing lessons and asked the teacher, ‘am I any good?’. She said I was a lower baritone and would suit Tony Bennet and Matt Monro songs – that’s where it all started,” added Arthur.

He began doing gigs in retirement homes, progressing to hotel shows, and now boasts a repertoire of more than 150 songs.

The tech-savvy octogenarian keeps promotes his shows via Facebook, downloads music to add to his growing collection and sets up all his own equipment at gigs.

“I use a forklift for the smaller gigs, which I can put in the back of my car,” he said. “I wheel in the amps, plug them in and away I go. In one afternoon I did three shows, all free of charge.

“I don’t know how long I can carry on singing; whatever happens happens.”