Plumber releases single to help the homeless

A chance encounter has led to mild mannered Pimlico plumber Greg McGrath releasing a charity version of the yuletide classic ‘White Christmas’ to raise money for a homeless charity.

Some people whistle while they work, but Greg has always preferred crooning his way through the best of Frank Sinatra, show tunes and his karaoke tune of choice, the Simple Minds classic (Don’t You) Forget About Me.

After being overheard at their Lambeth HQ by Pimlico’s Chairman and founder, Charlie Mullins, the silken voiced vocalist was cast as the lead performer in the company’s 2020 Christmas advert.

Greg has now achieved a life-long dream and issued the recording to raise money for the homeless charity, The Passage, which provides a range of services to help homeless people or those experiencing a housing crisis in the capital transform their own lives and counts the Duke of Cambridge, HRH Prince William as one its supporters.

The 52-year-old grandfather of four is featured in the opening shots of Pimlico’s Christmas commercial, on digital TV channel, London Live throughout December.

The former labourer and sometime football coach said: “I have been singing all my life, so I guess you could say it’s a dream come true. It was just my big mouth that made it happen.

“I don’t think I’ll be taking the stage at the Palladium or joining Michael Bublé at the 02 anytime soon, but I am glad that I am able to help such an important organisation as The Passage by doing something I love.

“I have never done anything like it. I have been thrown out of a couple of boozers on the Old Kent Road for singing too loudly before, but that’s about it.

“There was a fear factor, nobody really wants to stand up in front of everybody and perform and there was a feeling like you want to get it over with, but I would do it again like a shot.”

White Christmas by Greg McGrath and the Pimlico Choir is available to download from Amazon and iTunes for 99p with all proceeds going to The Passage.