90-year-old grandma who plays the drums

Lancashire Post

Meet the oldest female drummer in the UK, Barbara McInnis, and she hails from right here in Lancashire

Transcript

00:00 [drumming]

00:16 I'm Barbara McInnes, reputed to be the oldest lady drummer in the UK,

00:21 although, or maybe Europe, though I haven't Googled myself yet.

00:28 You've got to mention the Palladium.

00:30 It's a first for me, and at 90, let's face it, you know, at 90 you're,

00:42 I'm lucky to be alive, I never thought I'd live this long,

00:46 from the thought of being a frightened little child in the air raid shelters in Kent,

00:51 to a 90-year-old playing drums with a very famous drummer, i.e. Chris Joyce,

00:59 and he brought joy, as I had him say quite often, into my life.

01:03 No, it's fabulous, actually, quite fabulous.

01:06 What I really like, having been classically trained, I say, while singing,

01:17 I like Folsom Prison Blues because I have a gun and I can bang, bang, you know,

01:22 I shot a man in Reno just to show him, bang, bang, I've got it in my bag but I won't bring it out.

01:28 And also, to the irritation of Morecambe Ukulele Club, the Fields of Athenry,

01:33 which has got about 25 verses, and they groan when I choose that,

01:38 but it's a lovely tune, it is, but there are others, lots of others that I like.

01:45 You're carrying my dreams, aren't you?

01:47 Well, I wouldn't exactly say I take after Ringo, but, you know, I've always thought he was a nice lad,

01:57 because, you know, although he's about 83, I always thought Ringo was a nice lad,

02:01 but drumming now, I mean, let's be honest, Chris Joyce, I mean, what a virtuoso.

02:07 We should be on the Palladium, Chris and me, definitely.

02:11 [Drumming]

02:22 How has it changed my life? It has, actually, because at 91, usually sits and does a bit of sewing,

02:28 which I'm a quilter, it's a hobby. It's just, I don't know, it's just brought life,

02:33 and I said joy, because I'd had a miserable two years, and then suddenly, yeah, it has.

02:39 And I keep saying joy, but it's true, and of course it's in Chris's name, Chris Joyce,

02:44 that's why it's got his name in there, Joyce. It should be in capitals.

02:47 He should be on the Palladium, absolutely.

03:02 Who goes, what, 90-year-old gets photographed for what she does, mostly, you know,

03:10 like that, you know, and it's a bit like that, you know, and I have a shawl,

03:17 I wondered about whether she'd put a shawl on, you know, but I haven't.

03:21 So, no, of course it has, it's transformed it, absolutely transformed it.

03:30 Oh, for me, it's paradise, absolute paradise.

03:33 You come in and I didn't know what to expect.

03:35 It's in the West End of Morecambe, and suddenly there's the lights,

03:40 there's silver discs, platinum discs, there's drum, it's fantastic.

03:46 Of course, Chris with a big smile on his face, he's always ready to greet me with a smile.

03:51 [Drumming]

03:55 [Drumming]

03:59 [Drumming]

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04:09 [Drumming]

04:13 [Drumming]

04:16 [Drumming]

04:19 [Drumming]

04:22 [Drumming]

04:25 (drumming)

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