Little known amongst fans, the early members of the group The Moody Blues did not start out as a musical group, but first got together to run a laundrette. Denny Laine, inheriting the Shropshire Laundrette, curiously not anywhere near Shropshire, from his late uncle, needed help with the pressing. It was a pressing issue. He managed to recruit his dear old friend from school, Blinky, also known as Graham Edge, into helping him run it. One of the first things Graham did, beside changing his name to Graeme (because he was already a ham without it in his name), was to suggest to Denny the laundrette have a name change.

One cloudy day with sunny intervals, in came a forlorn customer by the name of Michael Pinder. "Are you ever a moody sod!" exclaimed Graeme. (He didn't have the best rapport with customers.) "I've got those washday blues," Mike sang in reply. Denny, coming out of the back, iron in hand, exclaimed, "Hi, you can sing!" "Yes, and I can write songs too," Mike replied, "I see you can iron." "Can you?" Denny asked. "What do you think I do with these shirts after I take 'em home?" Mike retorted. (Actually he didn't do anything but throw them into a pile but he didn't say that.) That was it. Mike was hired on the spot to help run the laundrette. Two friends of Mike's, by the names of Clint Warwick and Ray Thomas, joined shortly thereafter and the business was in full spin.

But the boys' true love wasn't seeing their customers getting their whites whiter and their colours brighter and they would often sing at their work, making up songs as they went along. Especially Denny and Mike. Mike even made up a song about his first day in the place. Unfortunately the music and lyrics are lost forever, but it is known the words were something to the effect of, "I'm a moody sod 'cause I've got those washday blues".

From all of this merry music making, the lads decided to throw in the towel on the laundry business and start a band since they could also play instruments in addition to singing and making up songs. It's a bit of a mystery as to which one of them actually came up with the name The Moody Blues, but the credit should probably go to both Mike and Graeme. By the way, the laundrette never did get a name change. It was sold and eventually torn down a few years later to make way for a Tesco supermarket.

The lads at the folding table. Left to right: Mike, Clint, Blinky, Ray, and Denny.