Hat's the way to sing in cabaret

Ladies With Hats entertaining Eastbourne

The sun may have got his hat on '“ but he's not alone. A congenial band of minstrels, similarly attired, is definitely coming out to play.

Ladies With Hats, a new entertainment to hit Eastbourne, suggesting ‘Harmony. Humour and Fun,’ performed at La Locanda del Duca in one of the Italian restaurant’s popular cabaret evenings.

And the ladies lived up to their promise – not least in their exotic headgear, changed accordingly, along with complementarily elegant dresses.

Starting with a bang, the trio sang a vibrant version of Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah and followed with what leader Susan Winge Bicknell, supreme in a black silk topper, announced as “a large slice of nostalgia”, moistening a few watching eyes with We’ll Gather Lilacs, written by Ivor Novello as World War II neared conclusion.

Annie Sivers wowed with All That Jazz from the musical Chicago, at one point using her tiny black bowler as a mute for a pretend trombone. Annie further demonstrated her range with two ballads; Secret Love and The Way We Were.