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Celia Drummond announcements 2021

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TT-ONR-NRN

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I was really sad to hear that Celia Drummond-Ford, wedding planner, celebrant - and most notably for us on here, the voice of many of our trains and stations, died in early January suddenly. She wasn’t very old, only fifties or sixties, and I am sorry for her family.

What I wondered was whether anyone knew if announcements for Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms and change for Elizabeth line had been recorded yet? They will obviously be required on the Northern line soon and it would be a shame to replace her as her recordings are good. She also voices the Jubilee line well, in a less stern tone than Anita.
 
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D365

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Oh that’s sad. My thoughts are with family and friends.
 

Clayton

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Celia was 70 I think. She was vocalist with the folk rock group Trees, whose 1970 album On the Shore is definitely worth a listen. She was married for a time to Radio 1 DJ Pete Drummond.
 

DelW

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Celia was 70 I think. She was vocalist with the folk rock group Trees, whose 1970 album On the Shore is definitely worth a listen. She was married for a time to Radio 1 DJ Pete Drummond.
Celia Humphris as she was then. On the Shore and their first album, The Garden of Jane Delawney, are two of my favourites from that era, although it has to be admitted that some of the instrumentals do go on longer than they really deserved.

Both albums were deleted quite quickly, and the band broke up. However they were re-released years later, first on vinyl then on CD, and even a remastered CD much later still.

Celia had a lovely clear singing voice, but I don't think she sang professionally again. She went back into acting (having been at drama school before joining Trees) then into voiceovers as well known on here. Very sad to hear of her death.
 

fgwrich

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That's sad to hear. Living in SWR/SWR Land, I've become very accustomed to the voices of the late Phil Sayer and Celia Drummond - Both of course did the SWT and laterally SWR announcements for many years, until their replacements on station with Atoc Annie & Roger.
 

prod_pep

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Very sad indeed. Both members of the 'dream team', Celia and Phil, are no more. They were both outstanding.
 

northernbelle

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I'm sorry to learn of this - Celia, along with the late Phil Sayer, really did set the benchmark for the railway's announcements.

Let's hope her voice lives on for years to come.
 

LUYMun

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My thoughts and prayers to her family. I found her voice, joint with Phil Sayer's, to be most suitable for railway announcements - there was something informative and clear that puts the others aside. She will be sadly missed.
 

davetheguard

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I'm sorry to learn of this - Celia, along with the late Phil Sayer, really did set the benchmark for the railway's announcements.

Let's hope her voice lives on for years to come.

I'm trying to place her voice; was she the "posh" one on Southern?
 

davetheguard

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The on board voice at Southern is Julie Berry.

Celia is the voice on board South Western Railway and also at many stations including stations on the Southern network.

Got it, thanks for clarifying that. I had been erroneously mixing her up with the Southern "on train" announcements.
 

thedbdiboy

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Well I never. I have both the Trees albums (original copies, bought secondhand over 30 years ago). Did I ever realise the Celia Humphris was the voice of SWT and others? Not in a million years...
 
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