DETAILS of a well-known Blackburn singer and his life-long friendship with the town's operatic superstar Kathleen Ferrier have been provided by local historian Barbara Riding.

She lived near Tom Barker and remembers him well.

Regular Bygones contributor Mrs Riding writes: "I didn’t know anything about him until after 1938, when he came to live in Leamington Road. His back door opened out onto my back door and I used to play with his daughter.

"As the years rolled on I came to realise he had been a very well known singer in Blackburn

"Tom was born on Mill Hill in 1891. His family were Methodists and he was encouraged to go to Sunday School and Chapel where his love of singing developed by joining the choir.

"He enlisted in the army in 1917 but was lucky never having to face any fighting. A concert party was formed called 'The Splints' , to entertain the troops, in which Tom played a major part.

"Back in England in 1919 Tom became part of the Meistersingers and St Cecilia and Vocal Union Company, which is where he met his wife Annie..

"While singing at James’ Street Congregational Church they met a young lady with whom they were friends for the rest of her life.

"Kathleen Ferrier had joined the church choir there, and Annie became her first singing teacher.

"Kathleen was also a good pianist and she eventually became their accompanist.

"During the day Tom Barker worked in cotton as Ewood Mill's company secretary.

"Unfortunately there was a slump and the company went into liquidation which resulted in him leaving Blackburn for a new job in Wolverhampton. For many years he was a member of the BBC Midland Singers and the Wolverhampton Trinity Operatic Society and was very proud to be playing a part in 'Pirates of Penzance' when he was 70.

"Tom and Annie Barker kept in touch with Kathleen Ferrier.

"In 1949 she wrote to them from Minnesota, and a last postcard told them about receiving the CBE in 1953. When he died in 1972, Tom left notebooks full of autobiographical notes, photographs and cuttings."

One of his roles came in in the 1927 performance at the town's Palace Theatre of the musical 'Floradora' to raise money for Blackburn Royal Infirmary's new War Memorial Wing.