I don’t know quite what I was expecting when I went to see folk legend Ralph McTell at Fairfield Halls last Wednesday, writes Pete Fyfe.

I, like Ralph, am a proud Croydon boy (whatever Kate Moss says) and he was returning, not to the smaller Ashcroft Theatre but the main Fairfield auditorium.

The reason for this was that he had a new(ish) book to promote and even though only half full (and bearing in mind that I’d seen him when it was full several times before) was treated by his fans as a bit of a homecoming.

Having settled myself down for an evening with my childhood hero and a packet of M&Ms I was delighted when he started with the 'Maginot Waltz', one of the first songs my brother Chris and I heard him perform at the Prince Consort Theatre behind the Albert Hall many years ago.

For those not familiar with his guitar picking McTell showed great dexterity and not a little humour when he hummed along to the merry-go-round waltz tune incorporated within the song.

His stories interspersed with the occasional gasp from the audience when he mentioned the stuffed Alsation dog at East Croydon station preceding 'Pretty Brighton Belle' and his recollection of his neighbour 'Mr Connaughton' brought back many nostalgic memories for those of us old enough to remember similar scenarios.

Mentions of Factory Lane, Duppas Hill and Shirley and the terrible injustice brought vividly to life in the song 'Bentley & Craig', painted a colourful life and that was only the first half of the concert.

The second set was geared more to recent material although he did manage to squeeze in 'First And Last Man' and the perennial favourite 'Streets Of London' which, let’s face it, was the song most of the audience had come to hear.

So all in all a good show all round and the long-line of those waiting to have their merchandise signed (including yours truly) proved you just can’t keep a good man down.