My Childhood with Ralph McTell: 'Our flat was so full of mould that it was eventually condemned'

The singer-songwriter reflects on a childhood steeped in poverty, with his mother raising him and his brother as a single mother after his father left when they were small boys

Ralph McTell: 'When my four children were born, mother lavished attention on them, hugging and pampering them. She was so different to how she had been with us that I felt jealous.'

Ralph McTell is in a reflective mood. “I think everyone starts looking back once they reach my age,” says the 81-year-old British singer-songwriter, known for songs such as The Streets of London and From Clare to Here.

“I’m also preparing for my final tour of Ireland and working on my next album, which features some of my favourite Irish artists reimagining some of my old songs. It’s no wonder I’m feeling nostalgic.”