What’s in a name?

It’s my practice as a working housewife to do my ironing at midday whilst listening to the Radio 3 programme hosted by Donald Macleod on lives of great composers.

This week he features the American jazz pianist James Johnson, chiefly known for writing the Charleston.

I was intrigued to learn he plied his trade as a tickler the name given to pianists who played in houses of ill repute.

I guess the phrase tickle the ivories emanated from this but presenter Donald Macleod explained that the pianist was expected to play with his back turned to the client.

Not only did he sometimes make his appearance felt but the tickler could have wandering hands with the women on offer.

I always thought that my ancestors came from the Russian town of Vitebsk, now in Belarus where Marc Chagall was born, and the British immigration officer had suggested the more anglicised Tickler for Tomssz Ickerovski – my grandfather- on arrival at London docks in 1917, but maybe my name owes something to those that entertained in brothels in Hells Kitchen in New York.