How Hull office secretary became UK's first entry for Eurovision Song Contest

The song, which finished in seventh spot out of the ten entries, was the first ever English language song sung at the event. Now tucked up 66 years later at her home in Canada’s Nova Scotia, 88-year-old Patricia is living out the rest of her days peacefully.

She recounts: “I worked for an insurance firm, but I was absolutely hopeless at book-keeping but my boss was very nice and what I did most of the time was organise tea parties for his business guests.

“In Hull, I used to sing in church and at amateur singing festivals until a friend suggested that I apply to the BBC for an audition. They weren’t over keen, though they did send me a contract and I sang in quite a number of radio and TV programmes after that.”

When BBC Humberside presenter and producer, David Reeves, tracked Patricia down in Canada a few years ago, he didn’t know what kind of reception he might receive from the singer turned actress, who was then happily retired.

He explains: “Of that night in 1957, she brushed away the idea that representing her country was necessarily the most important thing, and instead it was just another singing gig. Although she did admit that the event was her first exciting experience of both television and showbusiness with the BBC.

“What I took away from meeting her is that she was very generous. She was a natural entertainer and liked keeping people happy, and that this once glamourous woman, now in her eighties, proved she could still perform for her many friends, hosting parties, at which she would show them some of her early singing performances and films she appeared in on the TV.”

Patricia’s Eurovision performance involved a full orchestra led by conductor Eric Robinson. “He was accustomed to working with important people and here he was with me, a nobody.

"The music went at his tempo, not mine. However, the orchestra was huge and the strings glorious and wildly exciting. Of course All didn’t win. It simply wasn’t the right song for the event; I was just thrilled to do my best for my country.”

One suspects that the contest that she was involved in pales into insignificance when compared with the technology-led boom bang-a-bang of 2023.

Since Patricia’s time, orchestras have been scrapped in favour of recorded backing tracks, while the audiences, who previously dressed in black evening suits and cocktail frocks and applauded politely have been surpassed by flag waving glammed up fans out to define not just their lifestyles but their passion and love for Eurovision.

This week’s 67th Eurovision Song Contest being held in Liverpool is promising an amazing turnout across the country for the 37 acts appearing at the city’s M&S Bank Arena situated on the waterfront. The contest is being hosted on behalf of last year’s winner Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.

A decision was taken last year for it to be held outside of the war-torn country and the United Kingdom, as runner-up, was offered and accepted the opportunity to host.

The theme United By Music has become a multi-faceted expo, which will present former Eurovision stars from around Europe, showcase 24 major Euro-Festival events in and around the city region as well as hosting Ukrainian culture with synchronised kite flying involving schoolchildren, and a parade through the streets.

Vaughan Staples, the president of Organisation Générale des Amateurs d'Eurovision (OGAE), UK fan club, has seen membership rocket since he took over in 2021. It has become the biggest fan club in Europe with more than 7,000 members.

Vaughan, who lives above Huddersfield, explains: “Many of our members across the UK, including Yorkshire, will have grown up thinking they were the only fan, but our club enables them to meet others who share this passion and embrace in activities, events and communications that celebrate the contest’s values of inclusion through music.”

One such avid fan family is Emily Roberts – and her husband Adrian, from Ripon, and her two sisters Rachel and Eloise. Emily says: “My two elder sisters have been watching it from the late 1960s and I was watching it in the 1970s and we went to it the last time it was held in the UK in Birmingham in 1998. We travel almost everywhere.

“The Scousers really know how throw a party and this one is incredible with so much to see and to do...We are staying for eight days and it feels really special and heart-warming to see the amount of effort Liverpool is putting in to make the Ukrainians feel a really big part of it.”

er is missing from home because he’s fighting in the Dombas to keep alive all of their future hopes and dreams."

Former Eurovision acts have given support to Liverpool’s hosting on behalf of the Ukraine.

New Seekers lead singer Lyn Paul, who represented the UK with Beg, Steal or Borrow, and finished runner’s up in Edinburgh in the 1972 contest says: “Everything about Liverpool is amazing.

"The people are the warmest and most welcoming and everyone, including the Ukrainians, will be treated with open arms.”

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in Liverpool on Saturday. It will open with last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra.