27/01/2021
Now in chronological order
Tales from my past No.1--10
(Lockdown ramblings of an short, fat, ugly ,old thespian/Trumpeter) 🙂
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‘A Sentimental Journey ‘
Whilst filming an episode of The Persuaders, (a v minor part) Tone Curtis (remember him?) ask me if I would be so kind and take his leather jacket to the Kings Road in Chelsea to get it studded, (why I don't know coz it was a v nice jacket) I said sure, how could I refuse such a Hollywood legend.
He was pleased when I got it done. The next day he asked me if I knew anybody that would like some kittens and his Siamese had a litter. I said I would ask around. I was having dinner that night with MD of Jaguar he said he would ask two old ladies in the New forest that would like them, they said yes, he told me to pop round to his house in Chester sq. after filming and collect a pair. which I did and enjoyed a coffee with him.
They blimmin squawked all the way down on the train, however they were v pleased and couldn't wait to tell everybody where they came from lol
By the way his house in Chester Square , Belgravia was v nice indeed,
Another story to follow if you would like to hear one, let me know.
Warning! they might involve more name dropping 🙂
Tales from my past No.2
(Lockdown ramblings of an short, fat, ugly ,old thespian/Trumpeter) 🙂
’A Sentimental Journey ‘
Played this (il Silenzio) in summer season, Ryde, IOW, whilst the girls did a ballet, I got asked to play this more than any other, also as guest outside on the bandstand with Al Padesta's band twice a week, boy did I give it some welly lol, you could hear it right along the Ryde IOW promenade which fell silent, which was pretty apt given the title.
Here the original. Do you remember this from the 60's, went to No. 1.
Also also got invited to play this to open a star studied midnight matinee charity show at the 3000 seater State Theatre, Kilburn, (acoustics were amazing during rehearsal in the empty theatre), hosted by the great Nicholas Parsons an featuring Cleo Lane Johnny Dankworth, Nyree Dawn Porter, Jenny Seagrove, and a host of others which I fail to remember.
Having to open the show with this number made me bloody nervous I can tell you, specially with Mr Dankworth in the wings listening. and being told the house was full eeks! When I exited stage left Johnny shook my hand and said "well done Bobby" coming from one of my heroes made my night.
When I say star studied, "I was the only one I'd never heard of," to quote Morecombe and Wise .
Hope I haven't bored you, just whiling away the time during lockdown.
Tales from my past No. 3
(Lockdown ramblings of an short, fat, ugly ,old thespian/Trumpeter) 🙂
‘A Sentimental Journey ‘
Something a little different today. I often get asked about how I got into the theatre . Well it was purely more by accident than design.
WE have to go back a bit. From when I left the army (went AWOL actually).
Sit comfortably coz its a bit of a trawl lol.
It all started at the kitchen sink, literally) I left the army, having served only a year in the band studying music , but hated all the other stuff ie pretending to shoot people etc, not for me.
So got on the train to Waterloo to see my fame and fortune with a fiver on my pocket.
I arrived back at Waterloo, checked my suitcase into the left luggage and went about my business to find some work and indeed somewhere to stay. On passing an Italian patisserie bakers in Lower Marsh in Waterloo I saw a sign wanting somebody to do the washing up, I went in and got the job. My hours were to be from five am to mid-day.
I still had nowhere to stay as I only came to London with a fiver and it was disappearing fast. So I found a place on the embankment where the homeless (and some unsavoury characters) gathered at night, there was a tea stall and a night burner, the sort night watchman used to have to keep warm on building sites etc. There was a low brick wall where you could sit, I used to have a roll and a cup of tea and make it last all night. Now and again the police would come round, and if you had fallen asleep, they would prod you with their truncheons and tell you to wake up. You weren’t, apparently, aloud to fall asleep.
This couldn’t continue, so if I was going to get some accommodation.
I had noticed, whilst I was walking around taking in my new environment, a place called the Old Vic. I went to investigate what this distinguished building actually was (I was very naïve being only 16yrs at the time, and never been to London), and found out it was a theatre, not just any old theatre but home to the National Theatre. 'The National Theatre', are you kidding, for heavens sake!
I went inside and asked if they had any jobs going, and as luck would have it, they did, an ushering position which required two afternoons and six evening shifts, perfect! Now I had two jobs I could start my life.
BOOM!!!!!... Start ignition, prepare for take off!
Tomorrow, wow that went quick...
Tales from my past No.4.
(Lockdown ramblings of an short, fat, ugly ,old thespian/Trumpeter) 🙂
‘A Sentimental Journey ‘
moreover...
The day went like this;
4am
I arrived at the bakery and slept on the ovens for an hour to thaw out, as a night on the embankment was absolutely freezing, it was a very cold January. The boss didn’t mind whilst they were warming up and until my shift started at 5am.
12 o’clock
I would go to the launderers and get the shirt I had given them the day before to wash and iron, give them my dirty shirt from the previous night’s ushering, then retrieve my luggage at Waterloo, check into the baths they had there and have a bath, (there used to be public baths at Waterloo then, thank goodness) change into decent trousers, shirt and jacket and then put my suitcase back into the left luggage.
Depending on the time of the first performance, would then make my way to the theatre, do my shift then back to the station once more, retrieve my suitcase again to change back into my old clothes, put the suitcase back in store and prepared to spend the night on the embankment ready to start all over again. Believe me, meticulous planning went into this operation.
It went on like this for a while until I managed to save up enough money to find somewhere decent to live. I think it was another month before I managed this and found a small flat in Old Compton street in Soho £6 a week that was advertised in the Evening Standard, )they used to carry loads of ads in those days). it had a combined bedroom/lounge a bathroom and kitchenette. It felt like luxury from the embankment. How I enjoyed the first bath there!
I was still very naïve at this point and had no idea what Soho was all about. , I was excited by the lights on Piccadilly Circus and all it’s surroundings. 'I had at last found those bright lights of London.'
I was in heaven at the Old Vic, I found myself watching, Larry Olivier, Maggie Smith, John stride and John Stevens amongst others performing those great Shakespearean plays, watching these great actors and actresses perform had a profound influence upon me. From my memory I believe they only did Shakespeare then. Can you imagine watching Laurence Olivier every night.
The Old Vic was a very disciplined place to work, everything had to be just so, including anybody arriving late were not allowed into the auditorium until a suitable moment. Larry Olivier would go ballistic if you did.
I would arrive a least an hour early for my shift, spend time back stage chatting to stage door keeper and on occasion some of the actors, Maggie Smith, John Stride among them. Olivier would just swish by, never a word save the odd Afternoon or Evening. There was a time I had to deliver something back stage, I stealthily went on the stage and couldn't resist having a peep through the curtain to see what the auditorium looked like from there, no sooner had peeped through the National Anthem blasted out. Shooked me to the core, thought I'd triggered it which of course I hadn't. But hey I had appeared on the National Theatre's stage albeit surreptitiously. (my stage debut I suppose you could call it)
I was indeed privileged to be working there albeit front of house. During my six months or so there I never once saw an empty seat. My time there was a great education, totally enjoyable and a small insight into the theatre which was to play a prominent part of my future.
An interesting aside..'.Simon Callow's first role in the Old Vic theatre was working for Sir Laurence Olivier – in the box office of the National Theatre. This offer of work came by return of post following a fan letter to Olivier. It was while watching actors rehearse that Simon realised that acting was something he wanted to do'. How about that eh, I has several chats with him, he extremely funny and as nice as you would expect him to be.
Musician or Human Being?
From my window at my flat in Old Compton Street could hear a busker playing the flute, as I did on most days, and quite good he was to, very shabbily dressed, middle aged with long straggly grey hair. On one of those lovely sunny spring days I left my flat early to make my way to the theatre.
There I was walking along Old Compton Street, when, on passing the said busker, a gentleman coming in the opposite direction, said as he was passing, “that should be in the key of C,” I replied, “No, B flat more like,” ‘this voice belonged to an aged gentleman, tall, bald as a coot’, and smiling said, “ahh brother musician or human being,” I retorted “brother musician,” we got chatting and he seemed a very amiable chap, we chatted further and I learned he played several instruments, that caught my attention, so as I was running early for the theatre we went down Tin Pan Alley (Denmark Street) for a coffee.
'‘Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York centred music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music field in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th Century'
Over coffee I leaned that he was, apparently, a well known multi-instrumentalist and comedian, called Alec Halls.
‘Alec was the only ENSA Artiste to receive the MBE during the Second Word War, (ENSA=Entertainments National Service Association, or, as the Artistes themselves called it, ‘ Every Night Something Awful!’), several well known artistes belonged to ENSA including, Gracie Fields, Joyce Grenville, George Formby, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Dick Emery, Bob & Alf Pearson, The two Leslies, the list goes on.
Alec spent so much time on the front line entertaining the troops, refusing take any leave that he was mentioned in despatches by Colonel Jack Hawkins (Yes!- The film star), got a personal letter of thanks from King George VI inviting him to the Buckingham Palace to collect his medal. Alec replied saying he was so busy on the front line in Burma that he could not possibly take leave to return, so the King sent a special envoy out to award it to him with a letter of apology that he was sorry not have the honour of handing it to him personally.
The original letter was proudly on display at his caravan in Redhill, Surrey. On his eventual return he got invited to take tea with His Majesty at the Buckingham Palace which this time he accepted.’
He told me he was doing a cabaret show that coming Sunday in Eastbourne, I told him I would love to be able to see that, so he said he would pick me up at Victoria Station that Sunday afternoon and I could come along.
That show was certainly an eye opener, I had never before seen a cabaret show and his act brought the house down. I was impressed, he had five cases filled with various instruments including; trumpet, trombone, baby trombone, accordion and the dreaded bagpipes. Also many props, all of which he called junk. He went under the name, ‘Alec Halls and His Cavalcade of Junk.’ He finished his act playing the fearsome bagpipes whilst doing a Cossack dance and would gradually disappear into the wings. An incredible feat which had the audience cheering and more often than not received a standing ovation. (He used to hand cotton wool out to the audience for their ears before he started playing the bagpipes, which always got a laugh).
Anyway I digress, if you would like to hear more about my journey into the theatre let me know?
Tales from my past No.5
(Lockdown ramblings of an short, fat, ugly ,old thespian/Trumpeter) 🙂
‘A Sentimental Journey’
After travelling to see Alec in numerous shows, I told him I would like to do an act, so, without further ado we started rehearsing to include me as part of the act as his stooge and doing trumpet solos. (Hey!-I am in Show Business! lol, )
A terrific education as I was learning stage craft from a true Pro. Got to meet several more people in show business and started to make a new collection of friends. Even visiting the Grand Order of Water Rats (of which Alec was a Water Rat), at the then Eccentric Club where even the clocks went backwards meeting legends of the theatre.
During this time, I had relinquished my early morning duty at the bakery just when I was a master washer-upperrer. and was now working at the Piccadilly Theatre where Oliver (where the lovely Marti Webb was playing Nancy), was in residence in the box office and as his assistant. I had got to know the manager of the theatre quite well as he used to drink at the pub below my flat above the Admiral Duncan (yes THE Admiral Duncan, along with several of the actors from the theatre, so well if fact he enjoyed listening to my shows with Alec. He would let me pop off early if I had a show to do, smashing guy.
I did hundreds of shows with Alec, so have loads of memories. One if which is a show at Wandsworth Prison for the inmates, on the way home about midnight we got stopped by the police who thought the said ‘junk’(props) in the rear of the car looked a bit suspicious. Well, having assured him we were no master criminals, Alec made him laugh and we were on our way.
Next night we had another show this time at Brixton Prison and would you believe it the same copper stopped us again, he said, oh no! not you two again, “don’t tell me you just coming from doing a show at Wandsworth Prison?” we replied “no! Brixton!”- to much laughter all round.
Many a Christmas day would be spent doing a charity show at some children’s hospital for those with special needs, (I loved doing these shows), Our Christmas lunch would be a pie and a pint en route. Then on most New Years Eve’s we would have three cabaret’s to do, so was a bit hectic dashing from one venue to the other then back to the first to do it all over again usually finishing about 2am.
He was truly an international artiste having appeared in more than forty countries. He went to Australia for a three month engagement and ended up staying three years. Took him six weeks to get there by flying boat.
Whilst acting as Alec’s stooge I was honing my skills to branch out on my own. I started going to the dance centre every day, who remembers that in Floral Street Covent Garden?),b( I was a terrible dancer). Also going to the esteemed singing teacher David Keller, who introduced me to legendary acting coach Jean Wyn Scott.
Alec eventually introduced me to an agent who offered me some try out dates around London. Then an audition for Pantomime, of which I got the juvenile lead, I was to play Buttons in Cinderella at the Opera House, Buxton, this is where I met my true love, Nina, Caie, those that follow me will know who she is. Still miss her her terribly every single day, my show 'A Fabulous Musical Afternoon' for Childline was dedicated to her and her contribution to musical theatre.
Panto was wonderful, I had never seen one before let alone take second billing. Must say I was quite shocked to arrive at the theatre to see my name and photos plastered all over the front of the theatre as well as being front page news in the local paper.
Most days we were doing 3 shows a day,
Panto always seemed a bit surreal as you were working so hard you never seemed to be off stage ( or in the pub!) The costume changes were a bit manic to say the least, I had twelve during one show, Nina used to help as my dresser. She was an excellent performer and went on to appear in Cats and A Chorus Line amongst others.
Believe me by the 3rd I didn't know whether I was coming or going, Nina was always on hand to tell me what was next. After the show we would dash down the hill to the pub for a drink (or 3 )to unwind, most night we would break into song entertaining the regulars. I remember the landlord asking if we would come back tomorrow such was the fun.
This was followed by a summer season on the Isle of Wight. In this show, apart from my own acts, actually did a duet with the famed tenor Harry Dawson.
To bring this segment to a close, a moment when I went completely bonkers.
It was in Panto at a theatre (Theatre is a bit of a stretch, one of those cinemas that put panto on once a year ),up north, where, upon seeing the theatre for the first time, I noticed a catwalk around the edge of the stage. I told the principle girl (Nina) that in my opening routine I could come on, jump the pit (wasn't a v big pit), and land on the catwalk. I asked her to stay in the stalls and watch while I did it to see what it looked like. Well, she laughed her head off and thought it would make a real impact as nobody would expect it. Swore her to secrecy not to say a word to anybody at all and I would put it in the routine the next day’s matinee. Well, the matinee arrived and I was as nervous as hell, but once I have set my thoughts on doing something I wasn’t backing out.
The orchestra (well band), played my intro and I ran on took a flying leap, missed the catwalk completely and landed on some poor pensioners in the stalls. It brought the show to a halt, house lights went up and what was supposed to get laughs got gasps. Thankfully nobody received long term injuries and the pensioners were ok, albeit a bit shocked! All I did was hurt my knees.
You should have seen the conductors face as I went flying over his head. I was so determined to reach the catwalk I must have done an Olympic long jump that night. I hadn't accounted for the limelight in my eyes. The show eventually resumed, and when I came on for the finale I received an enormous ovation after which I was given a severe reprimand by the producers and warned if I did anything off script again I would be sacked. Trust me I won't be doing that again!!
That's it folks, I need a lie down 🙂
More to follow, hope you enjoyed it, I do tend to ramble on.
Here it is folks hope your all well and safe.
hope you enjoy.
