Russell Boyce moved into a small terraced house on St George’s Road with three other students in 1982 to start a degree course in Fine Art. However, he quickly moved away from painting to photography under the guidance of Daniel Meadows and started to document the community he was living in.
In St George’s pub Ray Millington performed as Kandy Lee Barry to a packed and smoky saloon bar. Those not interested in the bawdy, drinks, fun and laughter filled night crammed into the bar opposite. Only the bravest or foolish would try to get a drink while Kandy was performing, the danger of being singled out was just not worth the risk. This chaos was like a magnet to me.. It was not only the glamour and fun of Kandy’s performance, with many costume changes and appearances of Shirley Bassey, Cher, Shirley Temple, a pregnant nun, a union jack costume and sometimes a gorilla that attracted me, it was also the reactions of the people.
Most important was the change in mood as Kandy transformed back to Ray live on stage for the finale to the sounds of Charles Aznavour ‘What Makes a Man a Man’. It never lost its impact no matter how many times it was seen. Tears wiped from eyes as landlady Clarice Mack would shout into the mic ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Kandy de Barry a true artiste!’. If you were spotted not clapping Clarice would point at you and shout ‘You clap now!’”
