get another drink.’ Alex nodded and they headed back towards the others.
‘Hey, there,’ hailed Johnny. ‘Are you back with us?’
Colin plastered a grin on his face. ‘We are, mate. Just been reminiscing.’
Chrissie squeezed Colin’s arm and Johnny handed fresh plates of food over to him and Alex. ‘Get some salad and stuff on that. Wait ‘til you try it, it’s dynamite.’
Alex laughed. ‘If I eat much more, I’ll burst.’
‘Just a taste, then. It’s my new marinade, I want to know what you think of it.’
Chapter 24
‘You look pensive,’ Johnny said to Siobhan later that afternoon. She was sitting quietly, a faraway look in her eyes.
‘I was thinking of Andy,’ she said, smiling slightly. ‘He’s been dead … what … seventeen years next month? And Tom, of course.’
‘Of course. But mainly Andy.’
She nodded. ‘I miss them both such a lot, Johnny, but it’s Andy who tugs at my heart.’
Johnny put his arm around her shoulders and they propped each other up.
‘What’s up?’ Paul joined them.
‘Just thinking about old friends.’
Paul nodded, his expression thoughtful. Then he smiled, a big broad grin that lit up his face. ‘Do you remember Tiff and Andy’s wedding?’
Siobhan and Johnny nodded, laughed. ‘What a day.’ Siobhan turned to Johnny. ‘Go and get the photos, there’s a love.’
Johnny headed off indoors and was soon back with a couple of packets of prints. Siobhan shouted to the others and they all gathered round as Johnny dug out the photographs.
Christabel broke into a smile as she saw what they were. ‘I haven’t seen these for years,’ she said, as she picked up a group shot. ‘Here, Alex, have a look at this rogues’ gallery.’
Andy Airey was in the centre of the picture, dressed in a green suit and with his hair tied back. Tiffany, looking ethereal in a long floaty dress, was on his arm. Around them stood their bandmates and friends, dressed in the height of fashion for 1973. Alex started to giggle.
‘Oi, you, that’s enough,’ admonished Paul. ‘I’ll have you know those lapels were the latest thing.’
‘You look like a gangster,’ Alex exclaimed, then laughed again when she saw the stacked, striped soles and heels on Colin’s boots. Siobhan sported white knee length boots and a floppy white hat, along with a smock-dress that just about covered her underwear. Tom had turned up in jeans, but, in keeping with the fashion of the day, his feet were completely enveloped by them, and Johnny was at his shoulder wearing an ugly if trendy brown suit.
‘God, we had a great day, didn’t we?’
‘Where’s Dan on that shot?’
‘Behind the camera.’ Siobhan rooted around amongst the other photographs. ‘Here’s one of Dan.’ Alex looked at it and laughed. Dressed in a purple suit and toning paisley shirt, Dan looked no better than any of the others. ‘And that’s Killer.’ She pointed to a guy in a denim suit, hair pulled back in a ponytail, camera to his eye.
‘Where did Andy and Tiffany get married?’
‘Register office in North London. These were taken at the hotel where they had the reception.’
Alex flicked through the shots.
‘God, we’re just kids there, aren’t we?’
Siobhan nodded. ‘I was seventeen. I thought I was really grown up, going to a celebrity wedding with my famous boyfriend.’ She looked at Paul and giggled.
‘How old were Andy and Tiff?’
‘Let’s see, Andy would have been nineteen, so Tiff was eighteen.’
‘Christ.’
‘They were lovely together, though, weren’t they?’
‘Made for each other.’
‘Andy wrote such lovely songs for Tiff. Made me cry, some of them. Midnight Angel was my favourite.’ Siobhan smiled at Johnny. ‘You wrote some beautiful songs too, you know. You always had such a way with romance.’
‘Course with Johnny, you never could be sure who they were written for,’ observed Paul.
‘Depended on which little honey he was trying to charm at
‘Hey, there,’ hailed Johnny. ‘Are you back with us?’
Colin plastered a grin on his face. ‘We are, mate. Just been reminiscing.’
Chrissie squeezed Colin’s arm and Johnny handed fresh plates of food over to him and Alex. ‘Get some salad and stuff on that. Wait ‘til you try it, it’s dynamite.’
Alex laughed. ‘If I eat much more, I’ll burst.’
‘Just a taste, then. It’s my new marinade, I want to know what you think of it.’
Chapter 24
‘You look pensive,’ Johnny said to Siobhan later that afternoon. She was sitting quietly, a faraway look in her eyes.
‘I was thinking of Andy,’ she said, smiling slightly. ‘He’s been dead … what … seventeen years next month? And Tom, of course.’
‘Of course. But mainly Andy.’
She nodded. ‘I miss them both such a lot, Johnny, but it’s Andy who tugs at my heart.’
Johnny put his arm around her shoulders and they propped each other up.
‘What’s up?’ Paul joined them.
‘Just thinking about old friends.’
Paul nodded, his expression thoughtful. Then he smiled, a big broad grin that lit up his face. ‘Do you remember Tiff and Andy’s wedding?’
Siobhan and Johnny nodded, laughed. ‘What a day.’ Siobhan turned to Johnny. ‘Go and get the photos, there’s a love.’
Johnny headed off indoors and was soon back with a couple of packets of prints. Siobhan shouted to the others and they all gathered round as Johnny dug out the photographs.
Christabel broke into a smile as she saw what they were. ‘I haven’t seen these for years,’ she said, as she picked up a group shot. ‘Here, Alex, have a look at this rogues’ gallery.’
Andy Airey was in the centre of the picture, dressed in a green suit and with his hair tied back. Tiffany, looking ethereal in a long floaty dress, was on his arm. Around them stood their bandmates and friends, dressed in the height of fashion for 1973. Alex started to giggle.
‘Oi, you, that’s enough,’ admonished Paul. ‘I’ll have you know those lapels were the latest thing.’
‘You look like a gangster,’ Alex exclaimed, then laughed again when she saw the stacked, striped soles and heels on Colin’s boots. Siobhan sported white knee length boots and a floppy white hat, along with a smock-dress that just about covered her underwear. Tom had turned up in jeans, but, in keeping with the fashion of the day, his feet were completely enveloped by them, and Johnny was at his shoulder wearing an ugly if trendy brown suit.
‘God, we had a great day, didn’t we?’
‘Where’s Dan on that shot?’
‘Behind the camera.’ Siobhan rooted around amongst the other photographs. ‘Here’s one of Dan.’ Alex looked at it and laughed. Dressed in a purple suit and toning paisley shirt, Dan looked no better than any of the others. ‘And that’s Killer.’ She pointed to a guy in a denim suit, hair pulled back in a ponytail, camera to his eye.
‘Where did Andy and Tiffany get married?’
‘Register office in North London. These were taken at the hotel where they had the reception.’
Alex flicked through the shots.
‘God, we’re just kids there, aren’t we?’
Siobhan nodded. ‘I was seventeen. I thought I was really grown up, going to a celebrity wedding with my famous boyfriend.’ She looked at Paul and giggled.
‘How old were Andy and Tiff?’
‘Let’s see, Andy would have been nineteen, so Tiff was eighteen.’
‘Christ.’
‘They were lovely together, though, weren’t they?’
‘Made for each other.’
‘Andy wrote such lovely songs for Tiff. Made me cry, some of them. Midnight Angel was my favourite.’ Siobhan smiled at Johnny. ‘You wrote some beautiful songs too, you know. You always had such a way with romance.’
‘Course with Johnny, you never could be sure who they were written for,’ observed Paul.
‘Depended on which little honey he was trying to charm at
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