Retirement has brought a whole new lease of life for Norman Oxley. While many might relish the opportunity to take it easy, he is getting out with his guitar to more and more folk and blues clubs across the area. His latest CD is now out, and he is working on the second volume of his autobiography, Blues In France, charting the years he spent living in Lyon.
At his home in Frome he plays his music, writes, and teaches blues guitar to anyone keen to learn.
He hosts regular parties there for his big circle of musician friends and has linked up with many of the area's best artists.
A number of them feature on his new CD "Bluestyle", including Frome stalwart Richard Kennedy, Dizzi Dee and her hammer dulcimer, James Slater on harmonica, Richard Lonnon on piano, Ian Lammin on vocals, and Jerry Amsdon on guitar and banjo.
Every Tuesday evening Norman heads off to perform at the Robin Hood on St Michael's Hill, Bristol.
The following night finds him plucking his guitar at The Old Down Acoustic Club at the King's Arms, in Litton, near Chewton Mendip.
His regular monthly engagements are at the Village Hall Blues Club, at Fifehead Magdalen, on the third Friday of the month; the Poacher's Pocket at Chelynch, near Shepton Mallet, on the second Sunday afternoon of each month; and the Wookey Hole Club on the last Saturday.
His first book, Sailing With The Blues, focused on his early years in Croydon and his adventures when he joined the Navy at the age of 15.
His
father had been a bus conductor by day but took his conjuring and
ventriloquism act around the clubs and pubs in the evenings. Young
Norman used to go along and marvelled at the way his father could
entertain an audience."Even then, I thought I would like to do the same but I wasn't quite sure how I would do it" he said.
Growing up in the 1950s, he was constantly listening to the radio and tuning in to the new sounds of skiffle and rock 'n' roll.
Lonnie Donegan, Bill Haley, Fats Domino and Elvis all featured prominently, and when he was not listening to music he was getting hooked on the humour of The Goon Show and Round The Horn.
Soon he was bent over his copy of Bert Weedon's How To Play The Guitar.
African and Indian music entered his airwaves when he was sailing the coast of Africa during his years in the Navy and, on a spell of shore leave, he still remembers visiting a friend in Folkestone and getting introduced to the blues as sung by Bessie Smith.
Then there was Jimmy Reed, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Miriam Makeba's Dik Dik Song - the influences were endless.
Now, at the age of 66, Norman is reflecting on all the artists and styles that have brought him so much pleasure down the years.
The new CD includes gospel songs alongside numbers by Jimmy Reed, Willie Nelson, and Norman's own composition, Still Around.
In it he sings the lines: "I'm still alive, just reached the age of 65. No more working, just getting by. Gonna sing and write until the day I die."
For more information on Norman Oxley and his CD email normanoxley@hotmail.co.uk .
Ingrid Sofrin
Somerset Standard 08-11-07