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Thursday 26 August 2021

WEB PAGE NO. 2814 28th August 2021 ANITA HARRIS 1ST PICTURE: With Cliff Richard and friends
2nd PICTURE; With David Nixon
3RD PICTURE; Carry on Nurse
4TH PICTURE; Just Loving You
Anita Harris was born in Somerset in 1942; her family moved from Midsomer Norton to Bournemouth when she was seven. |By that time she had won a talent contest at the age of three. However, it was her penchant for figure skating which led to her performing career, she began skating at the neighbourhood rink, eventually becoming a regular at the Queens Ice Rink in London. Seen by a talent scout shortly before her sixteenth birthday, she was offered a chance to skate in Paris or to travel to Las Vegas where she would be a dancer in a chorus line. She accepted the latter, danced at the El Rancho Hotel in Las Vegas."We did three shows a night and on the 12th night, we had the night off", she said years later. On returning to the UK, she performed in a vocal group known as the Granadiers and then spent three years with the Cliff Adams Singers. She was still in her teens when John Barry's manager, Tony Lewis, offered her a recording contract by EMI and made her first recordings with the John Barry Seven . This first single, a double A-side of "I Haven't Got You", written by Lionel Bart and "Mr One and Only", did not reach the charts. Subsequent to their meeting, when they both auditioned for a musical revue, Mike Margolis and Anita Harris formed a personal and professional relationship marrying in 1973. He became her manager and wrote the songs which served as her second and third singles: "Lies"/"Don't Think About Love September 196) and "Willingly"/"At Last Love" February 1965. In January 1965 she performed at the San Remo Music Festival. Her duet with Beppe Cardile, "L'amore รจ partito", failed to reach the finals but even to participate in such a star-studded event augured well for her stardom. She made her label debut for Pye Records with the May 1965 release "Trains and Boats and Planes", although rival versions by both the song's composer Burt Bacharach (with vocals by the Breakaways) and Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas eclipsed her recording. She had four subsequent releases on Pye, including the only recording of the Burt Bacharach/ Hal David composition "London Life". In 1966, she moved to CBS Records where her debut release was also her debut album: Somebody's in My Orchard. Her chart breakthrough came in the summer of 1967 with the single "Just Loving You", a Tom Springfield composition which singer Dusty Springfield had suggested that Tom (her brother) give to her after Dusty and Anita had performed on the same episode of Top of the Pops. Recorded at Olympic Studios "Just Loving You" had been released in January 1967 but did not reach the UK Top 50 until 29 June 1967. Even after peaking at No. 6 on 26 August 1967 "Just Loving You" remained in the UK Top 40 until the end of the year, and was reported to have accumulated UK sales of 625,000 in six months. Besides charting at No. 18 in Ireland, "Just Loving You" was a Top Ten hit in South Africa where sales reached 200,000 copies. The disc was released in September 1967 in the United States where it rose to No. 20 on the "Easy Listening" chart in Billboard. It rose no higher than No. 120. In January 1968 she made her only appearance on the UK album chart when her Just Loving You album reached No. 29. She scored a substantial hit with her 5 January 1968 release, a remake of the standard "Anniversary Waltz", which spent eight weeks in the UK Top 40, peaking at No. 21. After just missing the UK Top 50 with the single "We're Going on a Tuppenny Bus Ride" (released 17 May 1968), she made her final chart appearance with her rendition of "Dream a Little Dream of Me". Released on 26 July 1968, her single version peaked in the UK Top 50 at No. 33, whilst the Mama Cass Elliot version peaked at No. 11. A third album, Cuddly Toy, was released in 1969. Television, stage and film career Since 1961 she has made numerous television appearances, mostly as a performer, occasionally as an actress, and her few film roles included a cameo as a casino singer in Death Is a Woman (1966) and co-starring roles in the comedy films Follow That Camel (1967) and Carry On Doctor (1967). She gained her role in the latter film while working in a revue Way Out in Piccadilly with Frankie Howerd. Backstage, he introduced her to the producer and director of the series resulting in the decision to cast her as well as Frankie Howerd. In December 1970, Thames Television debuted the children's television series Jumbleland which she co-produced and in which she starred as Witch Witt Witty. She worked with David Nixon for eight years in the 1970s and appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Show in 1971 and 1973. In 1981 she was in the line-up for the Royal Variety Performance, singing "Burlington Bertie" This performance she reprised at the Queen Mother's 90th Birthday celebration at the London Palladium, in 1990, in the presence of the Queen, Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh in a large company of artistes presenting music hall, featuring many well-known television and stage personalities. That same tribute to the star she had presented several times on the BBC's variety show, The Good Old Days. She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1982 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London's Talk of the Town. She was still appearing on television up to 2001, in particular Boom Boom: The Best of the Original Basil Brush Show, French & Saunders and Bob Monkhouse: A BAFTA Tribute. From the early 1970s, she toured in several editions of her one-woman stage show which, as Anita Harris in the Act!, was broadcast in 1981. It was essentially a recording of her performance at the Talk of the Town. In 1982 she was named Concert Cabaret Performer of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain. Whilst a frequent star of pantomime over the years, she made a debut in legitimate theatre in 1986 when she assumed the role of Grizabella in the West End production of Cats for two years, with subsequent credits including Bell, Book and Candle, Deathtrap, Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners, Verdict and the stage dramatisations of House of Stairs and My Cousin Rachel. Additionally she co-starred with Alex Ferns, Will Thorp, Colin Baker and Leah Bracknell in the UK tour of the stage adaptation of Strangers on a Train in 2006. She portrayed Gertrude Lawrence in G and I at the New End Theatre in the spring of 2009. In 2010 she starred with Brian Capron in the UK national tour of Stepping Out; having previously played the leading role of Mavis, she now took on the role of Vera. She toured with a new one-woman stage show: An Intimate Evening With Anita Harris in 2013 and appeared in a production of the Emlyn Williams play A Murder Has Been Arranged at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton in July 2013 and at Malvern Festival Theatre in August of that year. In 2014, she appeared in a lead guest role in the prime-time BBC drama, Casualty. She continues to perform with her band around the country, including at the Royal Albert Hall. She performed in pantomime over Christmas 2014-15 by appearing as the wicked Baroness in Cinderella at the Grand Opera House in York. "I've played Aladdin, Jack and Dick Whittington and Robinson Crusoe. I've loved playing principal boy and I'm sorry that boys are now playing that role", she told a York press meeting at the time. During 2016, she toured with her show across the UK, An Evening with Anita Harris. With musical accompaniment, she revealed anecdotes from her life in showbusiness, the people she has met and the places she has been. She appeared in ITV's Last Laugh in Vegas, and was a contestant in the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef 2018. In 2019, she guest starred in the first episode of Series 20 of Midsomer Murders’ entitled "The Ghost of Causton Abbey" as Irene Taylor, an accomplice to the killer. She guest starred as a medium called Shyanna in an episode of EastEnders which aired in August 2019. Anita Harris starred in the UK Tour of Cabaret, alongside John Partridge from August 2019 to early 2020. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Thursday 19 August 2021

2nd PICTURE Rupert and his father
3RD PICTURE Rupert Annual
4TH PICTURE Rupert and friends
Were you a fan of Rupert Bear? I know I was not, but Rupert Annuals and comics always seemed to be around when I was a child. Rupert Bear is a comic strip character created by British artist Mary Tourtel and first appearing in the Daily Express newspaper on 8th November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. In 1935, the stories were taken over by Alfred Bestall, who was previously an illustrator for Punch and other glossy magazines. He proved to be successful in the field of children's literature and worked on Rupert stories and artwork into his 90s. More recently, various other artists and writers have continued the series. About 50 million copies have been sold worldwide. The comic strip was, and still is, published daily in the Daily Express, with many of these stories later being printed in books, and every year since 1936 a Rupert annual has also been released. Rupert Bear has become a well-known character in children's culture in the UK and the success of the Rupert stories has led to the creation of several television series based on the character. The character also has a large fan following, with groups like The Followers of Rupert. Rupert is a bear who lives with his parents in a house in Nutwood, an idyllic English village. He is drawn wearing a red jumper and bright yellow checked trousers, with matching yellow scarf. Originally depicted as a brown bear, his colour soon changed to white to save on printing costs, though he remained brown on the covers of the annuals. Most of the other characters are also animals with humanoid forms and are all the same size as Rupert, regardless of species. Rupert's animal friends are usually referred to as his "chums" or "pals." Aside from his best friend Bill Badger, some of the most enduring pals are an elephant (Edward Trunk), a mouse (Willie), Pong-Ping the Pekingese, Algy Pug (who actually pre-dates Rupert), Podgy Pig, Bingo the Brainy Pup, Freddie and Ferdy Fox, the identical twins Reggie and Rex Rabbit, and Ming the dragon. The kindly Wise Old Goat also lives in Nutwood, and helps Rupert in some of his adventures. One of the most unusual and evocative characters is Raggety, a woodland troll-creature made from twigs, who is often very grumpy and annoying. In the 2006 television revival of the series, Raggety has been transformed into a friendly elf with broken English. There is also a recurring country Police Officer who is an adult dog named PC Growler. There are also a few human characters in the stories, such as the Professor (who lives in a castle with his servant, Bodkin), Tiger Lily (a Chinese girl), her father "the Conjuror," and several less frequently occurring characters such as Sailor Sam, Gaffer Jarge, Captain Binnacle and Rollo, the Gypsy boy. There is also a recurring Merboy. During his time as Rupert writer, Alfred Bestall added further characters such as the girl guides Beryl, Pauline and Janet, with Beryl's cat, Dinky. These characters were based on Girl Guides from Bestall's own church who asked him in late 1947 if they could have their own adventure with Rupert. They remain part of the comic series even today. The series often features fantastic and magical adventures in faraway lands. Each story begins in Nutwood, where Rupert usually sets out on a small errand for his mother or to visit a friend, which then develops into an adventure to an exotic place such as King Frost's Castle, the Kingdom of the Birds, underground, or to the bottom of the sea. Sometimes one of the Professor's inventions opens the door to one of Rupert's adventures. At the end of the story Rupert returns to Nutwood, where all is safe and well, and where his parents seem perfectly happy about his adventures. Unlike most modern comic strips, Rupert Bear has always been produced in the original form of strip with illustrations accompanying textas opposed to text being incorporated directly into the art; for example, within speech balloons. Much of the landscape in Rupert is inspired by the Vale of Clwyd in North Wales (Alfred Bestall himself lived for many years in the north Welsh village of Beddgelert). A Rupert Annual is still produced every year and Rupert appears each day in the Daily Express. Rupert appeared in Paul McCartney's 1984 music video "We All Stand Together"; Paul McCartney also made an animated video starring Rupert called Rupert and the Frog Song. The short film, produced won the British Academy Award. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com /b>

Thursday 12 August 2021

PAGE NO. 2810 14th August 2021 Tins 1ST PICTURE: Oxo tin and seahorse
2nd PICTURE: National Dried Milk
3RD PICTURE John Bull Puncture Outfit
4TH PICTURE Colmans Mustard tin
5th PICTURE State Express 555
Tins There has always seemed to be tins with lids around or house for years. I am talking about used tine put another use. For example, my mother’s Callard and Bowser ting with the kittens on held no sweets, it was a button box. Likewise the Quality Street tin only held mothers sewing kit. Dad’s tobacco tins held nuts, bolts, screws and washers and mother always kept her mincer in a tin which was kept under the sink. This hiding hole also held Peak Freans tin that held the shoe and boot polish and brushes along with the tins of Kiwi shoe polish. I am sure most households had at least half a dozen National Dried Milk or Ostermilk tins dotted around the house in various locations. This is way before the introduction of plastic containers and I can hear my grandmother saying” don’t throw that tin away it has a nice tightfitting lid”. Tins were always useful in the craft world. Most of us will have made, in our younger years, will have covered a tin in wallpaper and decorated it as a gift to put fire spills in or as a “useful box” for someone. Most households had at least one Oxo tin be it large or small. I have one which my father’s friend, Charlie Cornelius, gave to me and inside laying on a cotton wool pad is the endoskeleton of a sea horse. Why he gave it to me I have no idea but I have had it for almost 70 years and to prove the point take a look at the first picture this week. Another selection of tins which were popular were those that the gift packs of loose tea came in. One tin that all cyclists remember was the light blue one that the John Bull Cycle Tyre Puncture Outfit. Another distinctive tin was an upright narrow tin with a yellow label and containing Colman’s mustard. Even some cigarettes came in tins “State Express” being one example especially at Christmas Player and Senior Service and of course most pipe rubbing tobacco came in tins, very handy for keeping nails and screws in afterwards. Who remembers Gibbs Dentifrice tooth paste in a tin, either a red or green one. It came in a round tin with a dome-like tin cover, and looked like a cylindrical cake of pink soap sitting on the base. You had to brush a wet toothbrush across it a few times to whip up a foam, rather as dad did with shaving cream. With this somewhat gritty pink foam you cleaned your teeth. I must have used it thousands of times as a child. It cost about 7.5d in the old money. It had flavour added, a sweet, slightly soapy, slightly sickly taste to it, and it was pink. Band Aid came in a tin as did Nescafe coffee and Vaseline , Megazones and Germoline. In the garage Castrol grease and oil came in the green and yellow tins. Christmas was the time for fancy tins when we gave our relatives tins of biscuits and each biscuit manufacturer endeavoured to produce eye catching and attractive tins. The quality of these tins must have been good because just look around home and I bet that you will find at least half a dozen 1950’ tins hidden away somewhere Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com
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Thursday 5 August 2021

2nd PICTURE: With Perks the Porter
3RD PICTURE Daddy returns
4TH PICTURE Railway Children Train set
Ever since trains have existed, they have been used in books and films for dramatic effect. Hardly surprising, as they were at the cutting edge technology, as radical as the smart phone today. Trains have driven plot lines and depicted suspense, humour, emotion and danger. Heroines tied to the track in silent movies, with the train switching lines at the last moment. The smoldering 'will they won't they?' tension of Brief Encounter with Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in the tea room at Carnforth Station; Kenneth More as Richard Hannay exiting a train while crossing the Forth Bridge to evade capture in The Thirty-Nine Steps. The complete anarchy of The Great St Trinians Train Robbery, released in 1966; "Sir the up train has left on the down line". Whoosh! "Sir, correction, the down train is running on the up line!" There are whole websites dedicated to film locations, dissecting which trains were in which films, from Oh Mr Porter to The Tit.field Thunderbolt. Then there are the novels. One Agatha Christie whodunnit hinged on the vagaries of the railway timetable, the villain's alibi unraveling because a certain train didn't stop somewhere on a certain day. And of course, Murder on the Orient Express has been reinterpreted several times. Popular though these films are, to be honest, they don't really cut it as films for railway enthusiasts. And only one of them ended up being used as the subject of a Tri-ang Hornby train set, until the arrival of a certain boy wizard many years later. The Railway Children film, released in 1970, has taken on a life of its own. E NESBIT Edith Nesbit lived from 1858 until 1924, during which time she wrote over 40 children's books. She had an unconventional marriage and was an ardent socialist, co­ founding the Fabian Society. It is Nisbet's version which has stood the test of time. The Railway Children has never been out of print since its first appearance in 1906. THE 1970 FILM VERSION Go on, admit it. You went to see the trains, but ended up paying a disconcerting amount of attention to Jenny Agutter. But she was just one of a series of happy circumstances that led to this film becoming the public's favourite train movie. It was not an auspicious time to make a film like The Railway Children. The prevailing fashion was darker, so an Edwardian children's fantasy was a big gamble. Lionel Jeffries had previously played the mad father of inventor Caractacus Potts in Chitty. Chitty Bang Bang. She lost her father when she was four, and this may have been a major influence on the tone and plot of The Railway Children. It was not her only successful book. Five Children and It and The Phoenix and the Carpet both feature fantasy and magic. Similarities have been noted between The Railway Children and a book published ten years earlier called The House by the Railway by one Ada J Graves. Whether this was a coincidence or not is not known. For Lionel Jefferies it was his first directing role, and he also wrote the screenplay. He could so easily have bagged the important part of Perks the porter for himself. It must have taken great restraint or good advice to resist it. As it turned out, he had his hands full with directing, and Bernard Cribbins delivered a perfectly superb performance. The film was a critical success from the start, and has only continued to grow in stature. One of its attractions is the Railway Children walk, to view buildings and locations from the film. These were early days for rail preservation , and the benefit to the KWVR and other fledgling preserved lines in terms of publicity and public support are incalculable. The film used Oakworth Station for key scenes. Another important reason for choosing the KWVR was the need for a tunnel. Few preserved railways have tunnels, and even then it needed a temporary canvas extension. Much of the rolling stock, including the GWR pannier tank 5700, came from the KWVR and is still there. 5700 is currently on static display in its Railway Children colours. KEEP OFF THE TRACKS Sally Thomsett who played the 11 old sister was 20 at the time and Jenny Agutter playing her older sister was only 17. Jenny Agutter actually appeared in three versions of the story; first in a radio series, then in the 1970 film as the older daughter, then in the remake when rather fittingly she played the mother year. The film’s Classification was reviewed after a complaint that The Railway Children might encourage children to trespass on the railway. Fortunately, the BBFC ruled that modern kids were unlikely to confuse the modern railway with a Victorian fantasy. Just as well or they might have then had to review flying cars and nannies using umbrellas as parachutes. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com >