THE career of a performing pensioner from Blackwell is going from strength to strength after she narrowly missed reaching the finals of a talent competition.

Ukalali-playing Marjorie Pickerill, stage name Rosamund Gray, lives in St Catherine's Road, and entered the Midlands heat of the Silver Stars Talent Contest.

She came second and normally that would have been enough to send her to the nationals. But because there were so many entrants this year, two regional heats were held and the winner from each went on to the next round.

The 71-year-old has been performing for the last 30 years and is a member of equity.

Rosamund has had parts on Casualty and Peak Practice and has appeared in episodes of Crossroads both old and new.

The talented grandmother-of-five has also staged her one woman show and headlined at venues including Redditch's Palace Theatre, where she raised £2,500 in one night for charity

She has trod the boards in London and loves to take residents at old folk's homes on a trip down memory lane to the music halls and performs songs by greats including Vera Lynn.

As a trained singer she needs a sound manager and husband Geoff fits the bill -- he works hard backstage to keep up with Rosamund's schedule.

Rosamund said: "I have always been a bit mad and I love performing. There have been some wonderful times and I don't plan to stop yet."