Kate Garner's Vintage Songbook

Kate is a singer songwriter, performer and song historian.

Through her passion and knowledge of old songs, she recently wrote and presented her own TV series on Talking Pictures called 'The Stories Behind The Songs'.

Kate was invited by Jools Holland to guest on his Radio 3 show 'Earlier...'

Kate is the daughter of Chas Hodges from Chas and Dave

Born in Edmonton, all mothers and babies were evacuated after a cockroach infestation, so Kate went onto spend the first week of her life with Mum Joan in Gracie Fields’ ball room, a maternity home at the time.

Kate has been writing songs since she was a child. Her songwriting style varies from a victorian parlour song to a top ten club chart hit.

Kate’s work always involved a piano in some way. Playing around the pubs and clubs of London at night and a day job at Harrods selling pianos.

Kate has performed aboard the HMS Victory, The London Palladium and The Royal Albert Hall. She has also perfromed live with the BBC Big Band & Concert Orchestra for D Day 80 at Portsmouth Guildhall and guested on Radio 4’s ‘Front Row’ for VE Day 80.

Kate’s love of the 20s and 30s began when her dad bought her a wind up gramophone at a flea market.

Kate received a letter from Queen Elizabeth after composing 'Platinum Queen'.

Kate’s Nanna Daisy was a great piano player. Lional Bart would go and watch her play.

Kate is married to the actor and comedy writer Paul Garner, a regular host of BBC Radio 4 Extra's The Comedy Club. They have a son called Harry.

Kate has written a musical set in the 1930s based on the ‘Mapp and Lucia’ books by EF Benson.

Kate enjoys baking, and shopping for vintage bargains at flea markets and charity shops

Kate is a regular supporter for The Royal British Legion

Kate's recommended societies are The Dickens Fellowship, The British Music Hall Society, EF Benson Society, Friends Of Tilling and The Art Deco Society UK, of which she is Ambassador of. Kate has set music to poems by William Morris and Charles Dickens.