Softer side of Sinatra: Heart-melting photos of the day Frank visited a British school for blind children and a little girl asked him, 'what colour is the wind?' 

Frank Sinatra may be famous for his swagger, Mob connections and being the leader of the notorious showbiz clique, the Rat Pack but the family man also had a softer side.

In 1962, the singer paid a visit to a charity for the blind in Middlesex during a highly-publicised British tour.

The father-of-three knelt down to talk to children with sight problems, tossed a little girl in the air and even read stories to them, reports the Sunday People.

Frank Sinatra holds a little girl high in the air on his 1962 visit to the Royal National College for the Blind school at Northwood, Middlesex

Photographers captured Frank at this most relaxed, looking suaave in a grey suit but happy to crouch down and play with three children

The doting father-of-three was snapped holding the little girl in his arms during his 1962 visit that also included performing for royalty

Frank, who died in 1998 would have turned 100 on December 12, was asked by a little girl, 'What colour is the wind?'

The question and his answer appeared to affect him deeply as he told his family: 'The wind blew her hair into her eyes and she brushed it back and I told her it was the wind.

'She asked me, "What colour is the wind?’ I told her ‘I don’t know darling, it travels so fast you can’t see it.”

The heartfelt exchange took place at the RNIB Sunshine House School in Northwood, Middlesex, during Sinatra’s 35,000 mile World Tour for Children in which he played 30 benefit concerts in two months from Mexico City to Monte Carlo.

He also played at London's Festival Hall, where he met Princess Margaret. 

In Will Friedwald's 1977 book about Sinatra's work, The Song Is You, he noted that tour was the largest humanitarian gesture of Sinatra's career.

The singer is snapped holding on to a little girl's hands while a wall of photographers capture the moment. The camera has also caught him on his hated left side, highlighting the scars he sustained during a rough forceps birth and a later childhood operation on his neck

At the height of his music and film career Frank, then 47, set off around the world to raise money for needy children through his gigs

Sinatra's ease with the youngsters was clear and in 1986 he and his wife Barbara set up a home for abused children

'Describing himself as an "overprivileged adult," he set out to raise money and goodwill on behalf of underprivileged children. 

"Jack Kennedy asked Frank to do this world tour to help needy children of the free world," recalled Emil Richards... "Kennedy asked him to do it under the auspices of the State Department..., but Frank... said 'No, I'd like to do it on my own - I'd like to sponsor it.'"

But Ol' Blue Eyes set off without telling the press about his plan and according to his biographer Richard Havers, he told the audience that included Princess Margaret how gratifying it was to be doing that kind of work.

He raised over £1million for charities for underprivileged and disabled children and also had the added benefit of distracting from bad press at home where the papers were hinting at his Mafia connections. 

A member of staff at the Sunshine Home for Blind Babies and Children talks to Frank as they watch a group of children play with a toy train

Frank crouches to speak to a little girl with a necklace made of wooden blocks around her neck; even though his tour took place in the summer of 1962 it was clearly a chilly day as the youngsters resident at the home are wrapped up in coats and knee-high socks

Three children talk excitedly together as they play with the world famous song man who has crouched down to see their toys close up

In 1986 Sinatra and wife Barbara set up a centre for abused children and their families and there are stories of the singer giving cash donations to family, friends and strangers.

But it was his visit to Sunshine House School that remains the stuff of legend.

Current headteacher Jackie Seaman: 'We’re lucky to have received visits from many celebrities over the years and the children and staff are always honoured to welcome these special guests.

'Even although Frank Sinatra’s visit was almost 50 years ago, it was talked about for many years and is a highlight of the school’s history.'