There is a dispute raging at the moment over whether Elvis Presley ever paid a proper visit to this country.
Veteran singer Tommy Steele recently acknowledged a story that he took Presley on a secret tour of London. But Lamar Fike and Marty Lacker, two of Presley’s inner circle of friends, insist the King never travelled to England.
Well, let me tell you, it is a little known fact that Elvis did indeed come here. He visited the East Midlands at my invitation a month or so just before he died and he really enjoyed his little self. He stayed with me and Nelson in Derbyshire for a week and was thrilled for us to show him around the muddy highways and byways of the exciting little coal-mining towns and villages of the area.
It was slightly awkward at times because I was only a small boy back then and we couldn’t get into certain places because of my age. Elvis was keen to sample as many of the local ales that he could get his famous lips around but he was disappointed on a few occasions.
The Saturday he arrived, he insisted on watching Alfreton Town Football Club play a seventh round local league match against Bentinck Harriers on the colliery sports ground. Afterwards I suggested that we go for a lunchtime pint in the Lamb and Whippet but the landlord refused to serve us. Elvis threatened to smack his head in but Nelson and I managed to calm him down. ‘Leave it, El,’ I remember Nelson saying, ‘He’s not worth it.’
On the Friday evening, we managed to get into the Pinxton Miners’ Welfare And Working Men’s Club where Elvis enjoyed a round of darts and a game of bingo with the locals. Later, he helped himself to three portions of steak-and-kidney pie and mushy peas (smothered in vinegar, of course – he did like his vinegar, did Elvis!). ‘Eee, that were lovely that were, me duck,’ he said, licking his chops. We did laugh.
It was sad to see him go.
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