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Fun; that was always the atmosphere when Colin was around! His larger than life personality was extremely infectious and it was very difficult to be unhappy when he was near by.
However, Colin was an extremely talented entertainer too; his piano playing was remarkable and with his singing ability and sense of humour, he was a great all round entertainer. His most amazing talent though was to be able to get any group of people to lose their inhibitions and to join in with the songs and clap their hands, not because they felt they had to but because they really enjoyed it! Many times I witnessed groups of people of all ages (from teams of rugby players to pensioners) wondering what an earth was going on when Colin came onto stage with his band encouraging everyone to sing along with him. By the end of the evening though, you could guarantee that they would be doing just that; clapping their hands, following the actions and simply having a wonderful time. His popularity with the younger generation was probably the most surprising as the pub was sometimes full of people expecting to see a rock band. Within minutes however, they would all be happily singing along, joining in and thoroughly enjoying themselves. With his combination of music and joking around, he really knew how to get the crowd going; he always seemed to be in control, even with quite a raudy audience and yet there was also a feeling of happiness that just seemed to radiate from him to all those around. When the music stopped, the cries of "more" would continue for ages and many people would go and speak to Colin afterwards and thank him for the best evening of their lives. What's more, many 'first timers' would vow to return the following week and more often than not they did!
I personally knew Colin for around 7 years and experienced many
unforgettable evenings being entertained by him. Many people (of all ages)
would return week after week as no two evenings were ever quite the same.
His repatoire was huge and he played a wide variety of types of music
including Rock & Roll, Country and lots of other lively pub favourites
(many with actions that everybody joined in with). He would jump
effortlessly from song to song, deciding what to play next as he went
along, and so you (and the bass player and drummer!) never knew what was
coming next. This spontaneous entertainment was always fresh and fun and
Colin always gave the impression that he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
He would often split the audience into two halves giving points to each
'team' for the best singing and actions and even the most people smiling!
Every evening would end with "You'll Never Walk Alone" and in my
mind this song will forever be a tribute to Colin, a friend I will never
forget and who, for many years, provided some of the most enjoyable
moments of my life. Saturday nights are just not the same any
more.....
"They don't produce many like Colin. He was quite unique. We have
all been enriched by his infectious humour, friendship and pure Joie de
Vivre (Joy of Living).
We will long remember him NO always remember
him"
Captain Ian Gibb, The Canberra
"The Aussie entertainer died last year after a short illness in
London.
'Alive with Colin Hindmarsh' so said the calling card. And
alive you came when he was on stage, or else. No long faces or he was
likely to tell you to get down to the pub down the street or squirt you
with his water pistol.
Born in Weston, a small coal mining town near Newcastle, New South
Wales, Colin landed on these shores in 1960 after a successful start to
his career in Australia. It was not long before he became a big hit on the
English pub scene.
He revelled in audience participation. He sang and played music from
the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties with great
accomplishment, even throwing in bits of the classics for good measure.
His audience knew all the music he played and they raised the roof singing
and dancing to his bidding.
The testimony to his great popularity was his 27 years at the Rising
Sun in Sudbury Hill (Pub Entertainer of the year 1978) alternating with
his 28 years with the cruise company P&O. So popular was he with the
passengers on the Canberra that many booked especially for the cruises he
worked on."
'The Stage' magazine (January 1995)
