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Tom Jones delights crowds at the Hop Farm with help from Megan McKenna

By: Lynn Cox lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 09:07, 20 September 2021

Updated: 14:46, 20 September 2021

My, my, my, singer Sir Tom Jones is still quite frankly, a Sex Bomb - (well according to the scores of female fans who threw their knickers at him last night that is).

The Welsh Icon absolutely delighted fans from the moment he came on stage at the Hop Farm Family Park at Beltring, Paddock Wood.

Sir Tom singing It's Not Unusual

I'd taken the mother along for a treat as she'd long ago told me she'd seen him perform in London some 50 years previously, so I thought it was about time she went back.

And from the moment he came on she was grinning from ear-to-ear watching his every move.

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He's lost none of his lustre and nor has he tamed his ferocious vocal cords, he was note perfect throughout every track.

With a career dating back to the 1960s, it was of course obligatory for him to sing the most well known hits.

Sir Tom Jones at the Hop Farm

These included It's Not Unusual, What’s New Pussycat, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Green Green Grass of Home and was it worth waiting in the traffic queues to get in? My, my, my, it was worth every second.

And of course, Delilah, which was first released in 1968, was another obvious hit with the crowds who were a mix of both younger and older fans.

But the cue for the knickers to be thrown in succession came when he started to perform Sex Bomb.

Jeez, I've never seen so many - let's say ladies of the older generation - be so blatant with their desire to share their (hopefully washed and ironed) undergarments with the crooner.

And of course, he's seen the phenomenon hundreds of times before, and took it all in his stride.

Tom Jones at the Hop Farm
Tom Jones

The mother had a ball throughout and I must say, at 81, he's still a phenomenal performer; he's classy, charming and it seems his vocal abilities are still effortless for him.

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He delighted the crowds for almost an hour-and-a-half, but my most favourite performances had to be his version of Prince's Kiss and You Can Leave Your Hat On.

Tom Jones performing Prince's Kiss at the venue

He had originally planned to celebrate his 80th birthday on tour before the pandemic, but because of lockdowns his shows at the site had been postponed twice.

However, I can confirm the now 81-year-old is as fit as ever.

He may not walk around the stage as quickly as he did in his youth, but boy, he's lost none of his charisma or charm or his ability to sing.

He also performed several songs from his recent album, Surrounded By Time, which is the first he has recorded in his native Wales.

Sir Tom performing You Can Leave Your Hat On

Guest star for the evening with Tom was Megan McKenna, who won celebrity X Factor, and we could hear her as we walked towards the venue from the car park, (she sounded very good) but as we entered she'd just about finished her set.

It was a shame about the delays (we were stuck in it for an hour) on the way to the venue, apparently, earlier there had been a crash nearby which had led to the problems, as I'd quite liked to have listened to her set.

Tom Jones and his band

And as I'd attended the night before, (lucky me), I knew full well it took quite a while to get out of the car park once the gig was over, so had strategically parked my car at the front of the car park field (close to the exit) and was home by 11.40pm.

The night before, Olly Murs wowed the crowds at the venue to the delight of fans.

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