Ray Charsley & Sandie Croft

This is a story of Sandie and Ray.

They got together in December 1979 after meeting at Kings Country Club in Eastbourne Sussex. In those days Sandie was singing in the resident band "Meridian". Ray was in a local band that played occasionally at the club during the summer months by the name of "Sweet Illusion ". They both liked cream cakes & Indian food and had similar tastes in music, they decided to get together and began trying out some comedy routines under the name of "Slap n' Tickle" but soon found out they weren't funny, after being paid of at a club in the North East of England "Walker Jubilee". We realised that music was more them and put together a multi instrumental show featuring Banjo, Trumpet, Post Horn, guitars and vocal harmony and changed their name to the "Turnpennies" thy used this name for most of their time in Yorkshire, they managed to get enough work with clubs and theatres and stayed in Yorkshire for about 7 years during which time Ray decided to take my music grades on trumpet and began studying with Alan Morrison (who was then principal cornet with Grimethorpe Colliery Band ) for practical study and at High Melton College for my music theory with Andrew Clark, who introduced him to classical music and gave him an appreciation of it. Ray also played in a couple of Brass Bands whilst there, the most famous of which was Jaguar Cars City of Coventry brass band. During this time Sandie was taking singing lessons as a soprano and also studying at High Melton. We moved to Coventry whilst Ray played for Jaguar cars and our work as the "Turnpennies" took us over to Spain where they fell in love with the sunshine and way of life. On their return to Coventry they began making plans to move out to the sunshine and soon found themselves on the road after selling everything and buying a caravan and an old Range Rover, they made for the Portsmouth ferry to France and eventually arrived here in the Algarve.

For more information and pictures visis Sandie and Rays personal website:
http://raysand.com.