after retiring from football and the army, he went into the music hall as a variety performer, touring england, australia, china and india. he made his stage debut while still playing football, in 1919. he had also had a minor film career, which included starring in "the winning goal", one of the earliest football-related films, in 1920. walden also played himself in the 1948 film "cup-tie honeymoon". he made 78rpm records such as "ronnie the robin" together with "and only me knows why", on the imperial label as well as from ernest binns' arcadian follies, 'mother i'm a soldier' and 'only me knows why' upon parlophone. the latter was reviewed in the gramophone magazine's november 1939 edition. he died in 1955 of a heart attack at leeds railway station. he is buried at killingbeck rc cemetery, york road, leeds, yorkshire.