My favourite photograph by musician Marty Wilde

Here’s me with my daughter Kim at our first family home in Greenwich when she was three. I love it because it captures such a lovely time in our lives. Kim came along in 1960, when I was just 21 years old and in those days, you weren’t allowed to be at the birth. I was constantly ringing the hospital and, to be honest, I was hoping for a boy as I’d had visions of playing football, running around a park and all the things fathers and sons do. But, of course, I couldn’t have been happier when I saw my daughter. There’s a great joy in having a girl and it brings out your protective side. Plus, my son Ricky came along only a year later.

We had to more children – Roxanne and Marty Jr – when we were in our forties and that was so lovely, but I’m glad I became a dad at a young age, especially when Kim and Ricky were in their teens because it was like having your mates around.

My job as a singer dictated the time I was able to spend with my family. I’d be darting all over the country and I’m sure most working dads think, ‘I wish I’d taken more time out.’ I felt guilty about that with Kim and Ricky, but later on they were able to travel with me and my wife Joyce to places like Africa and Australia and that was a great education for them.

I encouraged Ricky to become a musician and he joined my band on the synthesiser when he was around 15 or 16. But with Kim, it was that protective thing because when I’d worked in clubs, female singers were living out of suitcases and I thought, ‘That’s not going to happen to my Kim.’

She was a very determined young lady, though, and after doing backing vocals for me on tour, she signed with Mickie Most’s RAK Records. I just adviser her how important it was to treat people well and be nice to them and to not become a diva, which she never was.

We’re a very laid-back family in that way and the fact that myself and Ricky wrote a lot of her songs meant we had a fantastic time in the studio, especially if it resulted in a hit. I remember listening to the final mix of ‘Kids in America’ and I told Mickie I thought it would definitely make the Top 50, so it was amazing when it reached number two.

Roxanne does backing vocals for Kylie Minogue, so she went into the business, too, and Marty Jr has his own gardening company. If he’s have wanted to be a singer, I’d have backed his decision because he’s a good-looking guy, but he’s very successful at what he does. We didn’t do too badly with our kids.

As for me, I’m so happy that at this stage in my life, I’m still getting to do what I really love. After all these years, it’s such a joy to go on the road and sing all the old songs. The bulk of our audiences grew up in the rock ‘n’ roll era and they’re at the shows for nostalgia.