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(from scrapbook 3, page 5)

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RICK PARFITT'S MUM

Lillian Parfitt has been helping her son move into his new flat. "He's never been on his own before, " she explains. So she's had to straighten him out on a few things - like not keeping the Ajax and Vim in the same cupboard as the food, and how the floor gets so much cleaner if you wrap a cloth around the self-squeezing sponge mop.

"Rick was super as a kid. No bother. I was very proud of him at school - an athlete, high-jumping records, diving champion, cross-country champion.

From when he was about 11 we used to go to the clubs together. And when he was 14 he said 'No, I'm not staying at school, because I know what I want to do'. He'd been playing round the clubs since he was 12 earning a bit of money. So he want straight into entertainment when he was 15 - to the Sunshine Holiday camp. I cried my eyes out, didn't I?

He'd never done anything for himself before so I thought it would make a man of him, let him lead his own life. But everybody did for him, they liked him so they used to do his washing.

Mind you, the first time we went down to see him there at the holiday camp he said: 'Come and see, I've done my washing, come and see.' And we saw his socks hanging there and only the tops were clean. And so I pointed out the dirty feet and he says 'Well, nobody sees the foot, do they?'.

He met these two girls there and teamed up with them - The Highlights they were called. What sort of music? Well, he was ever so keen on Cliff Richard in those days, and he also used to sing "Old Shep". The twins had this collie dog which would come and sit beside him during it. You could have heard a pin drop.

Then after four years he was at Butlins Minehead, and met the boys (Status Quo). I didn't think a lot of them at first, but you get used to it, don't you? They used to come to my flat. To put it crudely it was just like a doss-house - they'd sleep on the floor and all that.

I think he'll get on fine in his new flat though. He's learnt how to run a hoover around, though I don't think he likes dusting much - at least not from what I've found! And he's a good cook. He's always getting on the phone, Mum, how do you roast potatoes?'.

He hasn't changed a lot, got big-headed or anything. It's nice knowing so many people know him and respect him. But he s just an ordinary boy to me, doing the job he likes."

Words: Chris Heath Photo: Paul Rider

Image caption: Rick Parfitt (of Status Quo)