Ted Hewitt

Ted: No he was a bandleader, Lawrence? No, I can’t remember.

Interviewer 1: So do you want to tell us your name for the camera?

Ted: Sorry?

Interviewer 1: Would you like to tell us your name so we know?

Ted: Yes, my Name is Ted Hewitt.

Interviewer 2: Nice to meet you Ted. I’m really interested to hear about your time with Ted Heath. Tell us a little bit about how you used to dance.

Ted: Oh no I only visited him when he was in town and I went to one of the dances that’s all.

Interviewer 2: And what would you say was the best song he played that night?

Ted: It’s a long time ago.

Interviewer 1: How long ago was it?

Ted: I’m getting old now.

Interviewer 2: How long ago was the dance?

Ted: Oh must’ve been about sixty years ago.

Interviewer 2: Wow!

Interviewer 1: And what venue did you say it was?

Ted: Old time, modern sequence dancing.

Interviewer 1: OK and that was the style of dance that you danced along to?

Ted: Yes but the normal waltzes and foxtrots you know.

Interviewer 2: Where did you see Ted? What venue did you see Ted at?

Ted: We used to go to a hall in Harold Hill.

Interviewer 2: OK. Nice, and was that something you did regularly did you go out?

Ted: Oh yes, Saturdays only. Yes.

Interviewer 2: Saturday night jazz, very nice, so let me ask you when was the first moment you fell in love with Jazz?

Ted: With?

Interviewer 2: With Jazz –music.

Ted: Oh I didn’t, it all just hangs on to you doesn’t it? We went to dancing classes originally and then I got to know the dances then you see.

Interviewer 2: What was the first ever LP you bought, do you remember?

Ted: No I don’t know, no.

Interviewer 1: So did you experience music when you were going out to these clubs or did you did you listen to it on the radio as well or?

Ted: Yeah we used to listen to it; we used to have to take note of the music cause it tied in with the dancing you see.

Interviewer 2: OK. What would you say is your favourite song?

Interviewer 1: Or one of your favourite songs, that’s a hard question.

Ted: It’s hard to say.

Interviewer 2: Yeah, definitely.

Interviewer 2: So what music did you dance along to, do you remember?

Ted: Oh yes waltzes, Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, all the normal dances.

Interviewer 1: Yes.

Interviewer 2: Very nice. Ted, Thank you very much, it was nice to pick your brain a little bit.

Ted: Yes because I was going dancing up until about fifteen years ago which seems a long time but it isn’t. Because my wife became poorly, and that’s ten years ago.

Interviewer 1: Yeah you were telling me it’s something that you did together.

Ted: Oh yes, yes. Always a couple, no one dancing on their own.

Interviewer 1: So it was something to look forward to each week really?

Ted: That’s right, well twice a week; I mean we used to go to another club in Heaton Way Harold Hill, and also the hall in Harold Hill.

Interviewer 1: Are the venues still there?

Ted: Yes, well the one in Harold Hill is. I don’t know whether...I should think it is because it was a church hall.

Interviewer 2: Aah OK, very nice, very nice. Cool.

Interviewer 2: I wonder if they still hold dances there. Maybe.

Ted: No, I don’t know.

Interviewer 2: We’d love to get you back in. Would you love to back and dance again there?

Ted: Well if my wife was here, I’d be there.

Interviewer 1: Did you get to know other people there?

Ted: Oh yes. Hundreds of people. I went to the Channel Islands and we had a week’s dancing there.

Interviewer 1: Wow, very nice. Was that for like a competition or was it an event together?

Ted: There was professionals dancing, yes, competition but not us at that moment, no.

Interviewer 2: Do you think, have you ever entered a competition?

Ted: No, no, no.

Interviewer 2: Daunting?

Ted: Alright?

Interviewer 2: Cool. Ted that’s great, thank you so much.