DJ unveils plaque to Shadows hit maker in Bishop's Castle

Mike Read, most famous from his days as a DJ and TV presenter of shows such as Pop Quiz and Saturday Superstore, unveiled a plaque in Bishop's Castle to songwriter Jerry Lordan, who wrote a string of hits for The Shadows among others.

The plaque was put up on the side of The Three Tuns Inn, where Lordan used to drink, and reads: "Jeremiah Patrick 'Jerry' Lordan, songwriter, 1934 to 1995. He wrote Apache and many other hits for The Shadows, Cliff Richard, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan – and spent many happy times at The Three Tuns Inn."

The plaque has been awarded by BBC Radio Shropshire in conjunction with the British Plaque Trust.

Three Tuns landlord Tim Curtis-Evans said Read and Lordan's widow Claudine unveiled it on Sunday afternoon after which a reception for invited friends took place in the pub, with musicians playing and Lordan's hits on the jukebox.

He said Read was "absolutely lovely, a real gentleman, very sincere and pleasure to meet."

But he did not remember Lordan drinking in the Tuns, simply because it was before his time, he said.

"In fact he died in 1995 which was before I got here. We were quite surprised about it, we had a phone call from BBC Radio Shropshire about three months ago saying they were putting 50 plaques up around the country for their 'Music Day' and they had nominated Jerry Lordan to have one at the Three Tuns, and we were shortlisted.

"There is quite a history of music in and around the Bishop's Castle area, in particular Ronnie Lane (of the Small Faces, who lived in nearby Hyssington), but I think they felt he's had a lot of the spot light already."

The BBC Music Day plaques are aimed at recognising unsung heroes of the music industry in the form of songwriters who write the hits but are not always the people who stand at the front of the stage performing them.

Lordan started his career as a singer but found real success as a composer with the instrumental Apache. While on tour with The Shadows, Lordan demonstrated the tune to bass player Jet Harris on a ukulele and when the rest of the band heard it, they agreed to record it. It was released in July 1960 and became a number one smash, staying at the top for five weeks.

After that Lordan gave up singing for full-time writing, penning further Shadows hits such as Wonderful Land, Atlantis and Mary Anne. He had further hits with Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, as well as for Cliff Richard, Shane Fenton and Louise Cordet.