I can't make it to this concert so I am really looking forward to reading your reviews and seeing any pics that you have.

If anyone still needs a ticket and really wants a good seat please email me at Meadaholics.

Well, I intend going but so far events are conspiring.

Jubilee Line from Stratford to Waterloo not running ... oh well, catch the bus from Liverpool Street instead ... uh oh, the cycle ride through London means all the relevant roads are closed and buses on diversion. Waterloo & City Line it is then.

But now I have just read on Twitter that there are major problems on the Waterloo to Portsmouth line until end of service on Sunday 2nd August (this could affect anyone travelling down by train). From what I can make out, it means an additional 30 minutes added on to the journey as they take us on a detour of the Sussex/Hants countryside, which in turn means we will miss the ferry and connecting train the other side. Aarrgghh!!! (I know we can catch the next available ferry/train, but that's not the point ....)

Thankfully we are going down a day early, for a nice, relaxing long weekend ....

Good Luck with that journey A Liz
I think that you will need when you arrive.

Hope everybody gets there safely and in plenty of time.

It looks as if Bobby Davro was in Shanklin to see Lee.
Isn't it lovely that Lee makes friends wherever he goes.
I heard that he dedicated All that you are to Cilla Black
there are a few SD pics on FB.
I can't wait to hear all about it

Well, Lee was hot last night! No really - he came on stage wearing a white shirt, tie & jeans. He said it was too hot for a suit so he'd left it hanging up.
There was a good crowd in the theatre - a lot more than the last time he came to Shanklin, I think.
There is not much to say about the show itself as I don't think there were any changes to the set list from Bedworth. In the first half he said how sad it was to hear about Cilla & dedicated a song to her.
He said he told his mum that he was going to the place where she had her honeymoon but she told him it wasn't the IOW it was the Isle of Man!
My favourite of his new songs has to be 'Lullaby'.
Amanda's version of 'Over the Rainbow' was fantastic.Such a powerful voice.
As we knew he had to catch the ferry we didn't think he would be signing after the show so waited outside to see him leave. The band loaded up & left, then we noticed that some people were going back inside. Lee was perched on the front of the stage & was signing tickets & flyers & having a quick word with everyone. When they left, he & Amanda walked through the theatre car park, wishing everyone a safe journey home.
A lovely evening with Lee, Amanda & a lot of 'old' friends.
Joan, thanks for the info on the song he dedicated to Cilla.

Great review, LynneD - thank you so much!

And Lynne sent along this photo, which gives us an idea just how HOT it was in Shanklin on Sunday.



She also sent another which has been posted on the website home page. Be sure to click on it for an "expanded" view.

Great review - and I'm loving Lee with his shirt sleeves rolled up! *THUD*

Not very good at this so I am sure someone more articulate will be able to fillin the gaps.
Waiting in the line to board the ferry we spied a certain curly headed dude walking across the car park. I opened the window and yelled "Hello Lee" (one of th few joys of being an oldie you can be a bit cheeky!) anyway he called back "Hello Maggie" and next ting we knew he w leaning on our open window talking for at least 10 mins, I had a facinating close up of his arm as he had a white T shirt on with short sleeves and I may say a more beautiful arm I have neve seen !!! I was quite tranfixed.
He has promised he will sing for my 100th Birthday if he is still around
Arrived on the Island Beautifull day spent the afternoon eating ice cream on the beach at Shanklin. After a lovely Sunday luncgh n the local hostilery we made our way to the Theatre
He looked stunning in a white shirt and red tie with an unusual pair of jeans with large pockets on th bum !
I thought his voice was at his best, not sure about all of the songs and as my friends know I am not a fan of "Singing in the rain"He started with "WHere or When" wich alway gives me the giggles when he gets to the line "The clothes you were wearing you were wearing then" I think yes I prob. was.!
He dedicated "All the things you are to th late Cilla Black as wew had just heard of her sad deat. He told the story of a girl at school snogging him. said it was my first kis you cant condt kissing the mirror can you? which made everyone laughIIt went o qickly and son the firsthalf was over and we took or seats for part 2. I will pick out the songs I like best as the timeline has a wonderfull report of the tunes much better than I can do. Beginning to Breathe Again" stod out and the fantastic "Lullaby" love that in particular.
The lovely Amanda "Robyn" Handerson was his guest she sandg 3 songs including her lovely arragment of "Somewher over the Rainbow" She seems to have aa lovely friendship with Lee saw her kisss his hand at onetime. !
We waited at the stag doorbut reolised he was sitting on the steps of the stage chatting and signing bless him.
I hope this gives you some idea of my experience at the show it really was a special day.
Closing now. Tring to stay awage did not get home until2.30.! and I am babysitting tomorrow !!!

Thank you LynneD and Maggie for your lovely reviews and thank you Lynne
for the gorgeous photo of Lee.

Hope we get some more reviews and photos when everyone has recovered from
their travelling. So pleased the weather was so nice for everyone.

Nice review, Maggie!

You did well to post at all if you were feeling ill and I am delighted that Beginning to Breathe again is back. Bless him, he does listen to our ideas.

IOW ramblings continued ..... Well, the trials and tribulations of getting to Shanklin continued. We negotiated the anti****ted alterations to our journey, and sat in hope on our Waterloo to Portsmouth train - for no less than three hours. At one stage, it was announced on the train that we had definitely passed through the last signal, and would be "travelling at the speed of light" from then on. Wrong! Within minutes we had been turned off the train at Fratton (I hasten to add everyone was turned off, not just us for misbehaviour ), as ours had to return to Waterloo and we had to wait for a local one to complete the journey. Anyway, we eventually reached Portsmouth, walked on to the ferry, which was a delight as we sat up top in the bracing breeze, then strolled onto the little train to Shanklin - another delight, made up of what seemed like old Tube train carriages, a very funny, bumpy ride and a friendly conductor. We sta*** in quite an old fashioned hotel, but it was lovely and had a bar - an essential for our trips away.

Next day, we took a local bus to Sandown, which we loved. We strolled along the seafront in the sunshine and partook of the local ice cream, then caught a bus back to Shanklin seafront and strolled some more. Finally, we struggled back up the hill to the old village (with the help of the lift at one point!), when we decided we deserved a cream tea (nearest I could find! ), then back to the hotel to get ready for the main event.

Oh yes, there was a concert to go to. As you may know, I'm not keen on the numbers Lee sings on this tour, but I have to say the whole concert was ten times better than Bedworth, and I don't think it was because I'd got used to the songs. The 'zing' that was missing last time was there in spadeloads - maybe it was because Lee was dressed more casually and therefore more relaxed - who knows? There was a new song, "People Will Say We're In Love," which he made into quite a jazzy version (again, my favourite phrase at the moment, "not my cup of tea"), but it seemed to go down very well with the audience. He dropped "All of Me", which is one of my all time favourites, but brought back "Beginning to Breathe Again", which I also love. I jokingly said afterwards that I would be having words on Twitter about "All of Me", but in the event didn't need to, because I was able to ask him about it during the signing. He replied, don't worry, it would be back later in the tour, so I'm happy about that! One of my defining memories of Shanklin will be the sight of him in that dazzling white shirt (oh, those forearms!!!) and dark jeans, sitting on the steps at the side of the stage, signing away for everyone who wanted. I may not love the songs, but I love him!

Thanks for posting your review A Liz.
you always have an adventure wherever you go.
The Isle of Wight gig sounds very special. I am gutted I had to miss it but hearing reports & reviews from you all means such a lot to us.

Many thanks to LynneD, Maggie and ALiz for the reviews - and to LynneD again for the lovely photo. It seems as though Lee is really starting to settle into the groove now for the SEE tour!

I probably won't get to a concert until November but am looking forward to seeing how the tour develops. I think there is one song from the track listing on Amazon for the new album which hasn't appeared on the set-list yet, i.e. "By Myself". I wonder if THIS is the song - as sung here by Judy Garland in her last ever film? If so, it would be interesting to hear Lee's take on it. It's not a happy or upbeat song, but it could certainly be a real tour de force sung with the right emotion/attitude.

Greycat -

I had the same thought - it just seems like Lee could do amazing things with this song. And it fits what seems to be his theme this year.

And it is also on the track list on his website. Of course, there is time for change between now and March . . . but I do hope it's included.

Lovely to read everyone's experiences of the day, it's great how they are all so different Thanks for posting everyone.

Well better late than never for me! I have been busy and not had much time since the holiday (which was amazing by the way ).

Quite a lot has already been said so I'll just give my thoughts.

Firstly the weather was amazing. The crossing was sunny and calm and it was really nice sitting on the prom with an ice cream looking out to sea. Lots of people enjoying the beach too. It always feels like a mini holiday going to the Isle of Wight even if it was only a few hours.
We spent a little bit of time looking for posters but disappointingly there didn't seem to be that many. After our meal we talked to the waitress and when she found out who we were seeing (Casualty/Lofty not Joseph being the key word that she recognised) she was a bit gutted that she didn't know he was playing so close and couldn't go because she was working. Shame.

Despite that, the theatre was quite full and there was an excited vibe amongst everyone. As has been said above, it was a warm night and it was quite exciting when Lee appeared on the stage wearing his black jeans and the white shirt with sleeves rolled up! He commented straight after the first song that he had left his suit on the hanger because it was too hot to wear it Thank you Lee! .

I loved all the songs. I wasn't at Bedworth so this was my first time seeing the show with a fuller orchestra and a bigger stage. Lee was happy and relaxed and gave a great performance all the way though. It was quite upbeat and had lots of energy. I have to say, his third song, All the things you Are is so incredibly beautiful that it is fast becoming my most favourite song that he has sung ever! He dedicated this to Cilla Black as the news had revealed only an hour or two earlier that she had passed away in Spain. His expressions as he sang it will stay with me for a long while.
The songs always seem to go so quickly but I think that's because I love all of them. Two hours of Lee's amazing voice and gorgeous face is quite blissful . I also enjo*** Amanda's songs and the duet they sang together. Lee also sang a new song for the first time ever (I love it when he does that) which was good too, the title is probably above somewhere.

Because most of these songs are new to me, I'm just enjoying them for what they are and I don't actually remember any of the originals. When OLM was asking for ideas months back, I couldn't contribute because I really don't have much knowledge of this era. That's why I think I'm enjoying them so much and I am really looking forward to hearing them on the album next year.

After the show we all filed dutifully outside. The sun was still shining which felt a bit strange. Several groups of fans waited in the side car park for quite a while when a lady who I think worked in the theatre came out and told us that he was inside signing. This wasn't anything official and I think he got caught out when we all piled back in but he was very happy to see each person and seemed very relaxed and chatty. Having talked to him earlier in the day in the ferry queue quite calmly, I completely lost it after the show and all I could do was gaze and say thank you! Just as I was about to pass along for the next person, he gave me one of those face to face eye gazes which completely through me but was lovely all the same .

It was a very enjoyable day and even the motorway closure on the way home didn't take the shine off it! (We got home in the end!).

I've put a few photos below. They are cropped so I hope they don't look too fuzzy. I hope you enjoy them







Pics are mine.




Just one more thing to add....earlier in the day when Lee had chatted in the car queue (leaning on the side of my car!!!! he sta y e d with us despite several lulls in the conversation which left me wondering if I should say that he should go back to Amanda when suddenly he realised that they were boarding and had to run fast back to their car as they were holding up the queue! It was quite a funny moment! And a bit typically Lofty! Quite an interesting sight though

Thank you Jazzylou for the lovely review and photos.

Great review (and pics), Jazzy!

Thanks for sharing your experience and photos with us.

Whoops, I've just noticed a typo. It was the wrong 'through' after the eye gaze! It should have been 'threw'. That's the effect that it had on me at the time


While I'm here I'd just like to add that it was lovely seeing everyone that I know from here and right across the fanscape. Every single one of us counts to Lee for our support. We are all from very different backgrounds with a common interest and despite any personal issues we may have with each other we must continue to support him as and where we can so that we can continue to enjoy his lovely voice live on stage and have the fun of going to watch him.

I think it's very special that Lee thanks us after every concert, it shows how much he appreciates our dedication.

That wasn't meant to sound like I was preaching btw, just an observation and it wasn't about anyone in particular.

To everyone going to Clacton, have an amazing time. I'm still considering a last minute dash along the M25!

M25 and the delightful (not!) A12, Jazzy - not that I'm trying to put you off, it's just that it's my "local", as it were, and I hate it!!!

Gorgeous pics, and thank you for your report.

Lovely report, Jazz - thank you so much for it and for the photos.

Lee does have the ability to make each of his fans feel that they are special - and that's because we are all, individually and collectively, special to him. His ability to connect in a personal way like that is a rare quality.

And, speaking of Clacton . . . (see other thread)

Thanks for the tip A Liz.. I'll have to think carefully. .

Glad everyone likes the pics.

Thanks for all the reviews ladies. Jazzy, you have captured the day perfectly. Seeing him run frantically back to the car was priceless. The whole episode was one of those "Did that really happen?" moments.
It was such a special day.

Thanks for all the reviews ladies & for your gorgeous photos Jazzy.
Everyone remembers different things about the evening so it's good to hear other peoples take on the concert.
I'd love to have seen his face when he realised he had to get back to the car. A real 'Lofty' moment!
A Liz & Jazzy, great reviews about the Isle of Wight too. Have you thought about writing for the Isle of Wight Tourist Board? Glad you enjo*** your time here.