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1963

Social History 1963 #48

Saturday 14 September 1963

Wearing a figure-hugging costume in brown and black check and carrying a large, black, shiny leather handbag, Christine Keeler made a three-minute appearance in court yesterday. With her chestnut hair hanging loosely on her shoulders, she discovered that the full hearing of charges against her would be made on 2, 3 and 4 October in Marylebone, London. Miss Keeler arrived at the court in a chauffeur-driven car. Crowds of office workers waited outside to see her leave.

The Miss United Kingdom dispute was settled yesterday and Diane Westbury was declared the winner. Organiser Mr Eric Morley explained that although Maureen Gay had received more first placing votes than Diane, Diane had received more second and third placing votes, so that made her the winner.

Readers write on the Beatles. “Not only have they created a new sound, but also a wonderful new craze in haircuts, suits and jackets.” “The Fab Beatles are handsome Mod boys who deserve every penny they get.” “Have we all gone mad allowing the Beatles to earn £5,000 a week for making a noise they have the cheek to call singing?” “The Beatles are fantastic. They could look like monkeys and dress like tramps, but their fans wouldn’t care. It’s the music that counts.”

“Executive” spectacles on sale in Mayfair, London – £206 5s. That’s £205 for the 18-carat gold frames and £1 5s for the National Health lenses.

Independent Television’s share of the viewing audience is on the increase. The latest TAM figures show a 62% share for ITV. Last week’s top twenty programmes were all broadcast by ITV.

Television highlights: Grandstand featuring the Battle of Britain flying display. Juke Box Jury with Anne Nightingale. Last Night of the Proms.

Radio highlights: Those Were the Days. There Goes That Song Again.

Weather: dry and sunny. Outlook – similar. 20c, 68f.

Sunday 15 September 1963

All out security precautions have been ordered when eight prisoners face charges on Tuesday arising from the Great Train Raid. Undercover detectives have heard an underworld whisper that a daring attempt will be made to disrupt the hearing. 

A pipe-smoking competition held in Ombersley, Worcestershire was won by Mrs Winifred Connelly, the only woman participant among fifty men.

New on the market: a Scotch tape that is fully transparent and waterproof. Also, keep fit by flicking a switch and without even leaving your armchair; it’s done by an electric gadget with pads, which are placed on lax muscles that need tightening. In Holland they have developed a solution you spray on road surfaces to increase their resistance to heat, cold, wear and tear.

Jim Clark, the new world champion racing driver, nearly missed his presentation at Brands Hatch yesterday because of a bomb hoax. Just before he was due to leave Edinburgh for London an anonymous caller said there was a bomb aboard his plane. No device was found.

Get ready for the first of the female Beatles. Cilla Black is her name. She will make her television debut on Ready, Steady, Go! on 27 September. Her first disc is Love of the Loved, penned by the Beatles. Cilla is worrying whether she has done the right thing in giving up her job as a typist even though her disc sounds like a cert seller.

Recording manger George Martin’s latest disc is the Anvil Chorus by jazz trumpet-man Freddie Randall. Freddie was a top trad man ten years ago, now he’s making a comeback.

Television highlights: Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Living Your Life. South of Panama – the High Andes.

Radio highlights: World Top Pops. The Archers.

Weather: warm and sunny after early morning mist.

Monday 16 September 1963

Shocked parishioners in Kent have complained because the local vicar, Reverend Donald Lugg, wore an open-neck shirt and his wife, Dorothy, wore slacks at a church bazaar. Reverend Lugg responded to the complaints: “We at the vicarage are human beings. We aim to enjoy life like everyone else. But some people think we shouldn’t.”

Race hate flared into sheer horror in Birmingham, Alabama today when a time bomb blast killed four girls attending Sunday School in the basement of a Baptist Church. Sixteen other people were injured, some seriously. Fifteen sticks of dynamite were used. White extremists are suspected.

A week after Manchester United fans wrecked a football special travelling from Birmingham, Manchester City fans wrecked a train travelling from Sunderland. Manchester City lost the match 2 – 0. The club deplored the violence.

In a poll of 2,000 people, eight-seven out of every hundred could identify Christine Keeler and Tommy Steele. Sixty-nine could identify Reginald Maudling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Ken Irwin writes: Isn’t it time they pulled down Coronation Street? Haven’t we had enough of these dreary characters and their dreary backstreet? The stories are dismal and depressing. Doesn’t the show give an out of date picture of the North? Tony Warren, the creator of the series, said, “What goes on in the programme now bears very little relation to the original idea.”

Television highlights: Pit Your Wits – quiz. The Plane Makers – factory drama series. Discs a GoGo.

Radio highlights: Soccer is Sacred. The Canterbury Tales.

Weather: sunny and warm. Outlook – similar. 23c, 73f.

Tuesday 17 September 1963

Two more men were charged with taking part in the Great Train Robbery. They are Leonard Dennis Field of North London and Brian Arthur Field of Oxfordshire. The two men are not related.

The “colour bar” problem in America cannot be solved overnight. But President Kennedy has given a brave lead in the fight for racial justice. His countrymen are responding. His words and actions have given America a brighter image throughout the world. The extremist system, which resulted in the murder of four children in Birmingham, Alabama is on the way out.

More than 1,800 men were killed or seriously injured in the coal mines in 1962. The figure represents an increase of 100 compared to 1961. The coal industry’s first Safety Year was in 1962.

The first all-British steel bath. It has a luxury look that includes long, low lines and a broad ridge around for bath-salts and talc. Colours – in primrose, pink, blue, turquoise and green.

Football results: Aston Villa 2 Spurs 4, Blackburn 2 Chelsea 2, Blackpool 1 Manchester United 0, Liverpool 6 Wolves 0. Manchester United still lead the table, two points ahead of Blackburn and Spurs.

A kangaroo called Hullabaloo and her baby Custard will introduce viewers to the BBC’s new television channel, BBC2, which opens next April. One of the reasons Hullabaloo was chosen is that kangaroo rhymes with BBC2. 

Television highlights: The Exporters – documentary. Animal Magic. Four Just Men.

Radio highlights: In Our Time. Keep Up Your French.

Weather: sunny and warm with a chance of thunder. Outlook – dry with sunshine. 23c, 73f.

Wednesday 18 September 1963

Electricity prices will go up this winter. Also, power cuts are forecast. This is despite the fact that the Electricity Council made a massive £42,500,000 profit. It is estimated that the electricity grid will not be equipped to meet severe weather conditions until 1967-68. A political storm is brewing over these announcements.

Two rival gangs of youths have brought trouble to a new town – Basildon New Town, Essex. On one side you have the “Rockers” on the other the “Mods”. The “Rockers” have long hair, tight trousers, leather jackets and high-powered motorcycles while the “Mods” wear modern clothes and ride motor scooters. There is considerable animosity between the two groups, which often erupts into violence. A popular taunt of the “Rockers” is to call the “Mods” geezers, hoping that will lead to a fight.

“Those people who objected to Rev Donald Lugg wearing an open-neck shirt and his wife appearing in slacks are a nasty narrow-minded lot of old cronies. Good luck to the vicar and his wife. If there were more people like them maybe the congregations would increase.” – F. Winser, Gloucestershire.

Everton go into their European Cup clash with Internationale Milan tonight knowing that their opponents are on a £300-a-man win bonus. The Everton players will receive £10 each, win or lose, the top bonus allowed by the Football League for this round.

The Light Programme on BBC radio is to launch a two-hours-a-night pop music show – ending at midnight. Music to Midnight will replace the BBC’s plan to play pop music early in the morning. That plan has been shelved because of copyright troubles. The new series, starting on 30 September will include the BBC Revue and Variety Orchestras, Dennis Lotis, Susan Maughan and Patsy Ann Noble.

Television highlights: Football Special – recorded highlights of Everton v Internationale Milan. Citizen 63 – a shop steward. A Nation in Doubt – debate on Britain.

Radio highlights: Date With a Disc. Always Give the Pubic What it Wants.

Weather: cloudy with rain, brighter later. Outlook – dry with sunny spells. 20c, 68f.

Thursday 19 September 1963

Experts considering whether a bridge or a tunnel should be built across the Channel have reported “very positively in favour of a tunnel”. A bridge would be very difficult and costly. However, the experts believe that a tunnel is feasible.

Prime Minister Harold Macmillan last night sent for his inner Cabinet to discuss what to do about the Denning Report. There is speculation that the report, a detailed investigation into the Profumo scandal, might bring down the government. However, Conservative sources say the report is “not too bad.”

A County Councillor, Douglas Aldridge, who criticised workmen for “leaning on their shovels too long” has been challenged to work with a pick and shovel gang himself for a week. Mr Aldridge said, “I’m not one to dodge a challenge, but I want to know more about the conditions before I accept. I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Guitarist Bruce Welch is quitting the Shadows, the group that backs Cliff Richard, because he can’t stop worrying. “I have always been nervous,” he said. “When you are on the stage the tension is tremendous.” Bruce plans to take a desk job, looking after the affairs of the company connected with Cliff and the Shadows.

Mr John Davies, chairman of the Rank Organisation, which has 355 cinemas in Britain, has hit out at the number of X certificate films being released. He claims that the film industry’s problems have been aggravated by the increase in X films and he urged producers to satisfy the demand for family entertainment.

Football Results: European Cup Qualifying Round First Leg – Everton 0 Internationale Milan 0. First Division – Bolton 6 Ipswich 0, Fulham 2 Burnley 1, Stoke 0 Sheffield United 2, WBA 3 Birmingham 1.

Television highlights: It’s My Opinion – comment by Venessa Redgrave and John Arlott. The Saint. Champion Driver Jim Clark.

Radio highlights: Saludos Amigos! Swinging UK.

Weather: dry with sunny spells. Outlook – similar. 19c, 65f.

Friday 20 September 1963

Three British research scientists have scored a major breakthrough in the battle to perfect a vaccine against German Measles. This is good news for expectant mothers because their unborn babies can be affected by the disease. A doctor said, “When the vaccine is produced, it can be given to expectant mothers immediately they become pregnant.”

Twenty-one towns in Britain will follow Birmingham’s experiment and introduce a dipped headlights campaign for night driving. The Birmingham experiment halved the road death toll. Nevertheless, Transport Minister Ernest Marples dubbed it a failure.

Teenage crime figures since the War: up to 1951 there was a steady rise, then for four years a sharp drop. But since 1955 there has been a big increase, which shows no sign of tailing off. The percentage of young people found guilty of indictable offences is now more than twice as high for boys and three times as high for girls as it was before the War.

The thirty-one presenters on BBC radio – twenty-nine men and two women – have been told “make yourselves known on air”. For the first time since the War they have been told to introduce themselves and “make friends” with the listeners.

Prediction: supersonic jet passenger services between Britain and Australia will begin by 1970.

A tax inspector’s letter postmarked “Liverpool 5.45pm, 19 September 1963, arrived in Jersey at 8.45am yesterday, nine hours earlier.

Television highlights: For Deaf Children. The Keepers – French film. Ready, Steady, Go! with Acker Bilk and Stanley Baker.

Radio highlights: The Island – jazz opera. Peter Murray Show. 

Weather: dry with sunny periods. Outlook – similar. 20c, 68f.

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #160

Dear Reader,

Fonts can suggest an atmosphere and sense of time. With Tula, my novel about an actress, I’m looking to invoke the 1920s, so I’m experimenting with Snell Roundhand and American Typewriter.

Brooklyn Bridge is a location in chapter two of Tula. She goes there to deliver a parcel for her father and notices a cameraman filming. While she’s engrossed in the filming, someone steals the parcel.

At the time of its opening, on May 24, 1883, Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world with a span of 1,595.5 feet.

🖼 Chromolithography of the “Great East River Suspension Bridge” by Currier and Ives, 1883.

Was Clara Bow a good actress? On a human level, this question is irrelevant – Clara dragged herself out of abject poverty and pursued her dream; that’s all that matters. On an artistic level, it would be nice to answer the question, so here’s my opinion.

First, what other people said about Clara’s acting ability. Fellow actress Louise Brooks: “She was absolutely sensational in the United States … in Dancing Mothers … she just swept the country … I know I saw her … and I thought … wonderful.”

In 1981, producer Budd Schulberg described Clara as “an easy winner of the dumbbell award” who “couldn’t act.” Furthermore, he compared her to a puppy that his father B. P. Schulberg had trained to become Lassie.

Director Victor Fleming compared Clara to a Stradivarius violin: “Touch her, and she responded with genius.” Another director, William Wellman said, “Movie stardom isn’t acting ability – it’s personality and temperament … I once directed Clara Bow (Wings). She was mad and crazy, but WHAT a personality!”

While Grace Kingsley of the Los Angeles Times said; “Don’t miss Wine. It’s a thoroughly refreshing draught … there are only about five actresses who give me a real thrill on the screen – and Clara is nearly five of them.”

Clara Bow in Stars of the Photoplay, 1924

Clara Bow didn’t require direction: she required background about a particular scene, then a wise director would light the set and allow her to go with the flow. She understood character, and how to convey that character to an audience, not en block, but with subtle asides that would convey different messages to males and females, to those who would love her character, and to those who would disapprove. The net result: (nearly) everyone loved her performances.

Brought up in the silent era, Clara knew how to convey emotions through facial expressions, particularly through her eyes. Her glances were worth a page of dialogue, while her ability to cry on demand was legendary.

My opinion: Clara Bow was a great emotional actress. She knew how to get inside a character, how to portray a character, and how to connect with an audience. I agree with Victor Fleming – on the silver screen, Clara Bow responded with genius.

***

Continuing my research into Eva Marie Saint’s ancestry using public records. I’m looking to answer two questions: was Eva’s talent the result of nurture, or nature? And why am I drawn to her as an actress? Can I find the answers to these questions in her roots?

Eva Marie’s grandfather was John Q Saint, a postmaster from Indiana, living in Iowa in 1900. What did the Q stand for? This document provides the answer, and a whole lot more.

The Q in John’s name stood for Quincy. Furthermore, his parents were Jonathan and Emily, and they were Quakers.

John Quincy Saint
Event Type:Birth
Birth Date:19 Dec 1847
Birth Date on Image:19 1847 Twelfth
Birth Place:Henry, Indiana
Father:Jonathan Saint
Mother:Emily Saint
Monthly Meeting:Duck Creek Monthly Meeting
Yearly Meeting:Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Meeting State:Indiana
Meeting County:Henry

So, my next task is to discover more about Jonathan and identify when his family became Quakers – did they join a Quaker community in America, or were they persecuted Quakers in Britain, seeking a new home?

***

Sleight of Hand, Series 1, Episode 15 of The Rockford Files is different to all previous episodes. The main reason for the difference is Sleight of Hand was based on a novel, Thin Air by Howard Browne. 

This episode is Rockford noir with little in the way of humour. Rockford becomes seriously aggressive on a couple of occasions too, both justified. 

In long-running series, writers are always looking for new angles for their characters, so it’s easy to understand why the Rockford writers were drawn to this story, but did it work as an episode of The Rockford Files?

I reckon the radical nature of this story would divide fans. Some would recognise that the story was built on an interesting premise – a baffling disappearance – while others would appreciate that the story was written for a different main character, a married man.

Georgian London established itself as a place for fashionable living with new streets and squares in Westminster, plus plush palaces for entrepreneurs and aristocrats. It fashioned a society based on exploitation and profit. It became a city without a soul.

Through the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange and a network of coffee houses, fortunes were made – and lost. Money, stocks and shares were king. However, the financial pie is of limited size, and for every big time winner there were scores of big time losers. For every palace, scores of slums blighted the city, and ruined peoples’ lives.

Two new bridges across the Thames linked the north and south of London. The city spread into the countryside. Houses sprang up. The landscape altered beyond all recognition. 

Workshops and manufacturing centres fed the need for essentials, and luxury goods. Breweries quenched thirsts – alcohol was safer to drink than London water – while artisans displayed their skills in pottery and porcelain production, in clock and watchmaking, in furniture making, and in silk weaving.

London was a cosmopolitan place. But, as someone might have said at the time, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Westminster Bridge, depicted by Joseph Farrington, 1789. 🖼 Wikipedia.

Roy Clarke was born on 1 June 1925. A winger, he played professional football for Cardiff City, Manchester City, Stockport County and Wales.

A natural sportsman at school, Roy served his country during the Second World War as a coal miner, digging the ‘black gold’ that kept British industry going, which in turn kept the war effort alive.

In 1942, Roy signed for Cardiff City as an amateur. When league football resumed in 1945, he turned professional. 

Cardiff City won promotion from Division Three (South) in 1946 – 47. In May of 1947, Roy signed for Second Division Manchester City for a fee £12,000. 

At that time, Manchester City secured promotion to the First Division. This meant that Roy achieved the unusual feat of playing in three different divisions in consecutive matches.

Roy secured a regular place in the Manchester City team. Over the next decade he made 349 league appearances scoring 73 goals. He was also an FA Cup winner in 1956. During that match his friend, Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, broke his neck, but played on.

In 1958, Roy wound down his professional career at Stockport County. On the international stage, he won 22 caps for Wales.

After his retirement from football, Roy became the manager of the Manchester City social club. Along with his wife, Kathleen, he provided an environment for fans, management and players to forge closer bonds. The club ran for nearly 25 years.

***

Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach, California, October 21, 1950. “Lady Stars Gain Height.”

Highest grossing film of 1920: Way Down East.

A silent romantic drama, directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Lilian Gish, Way Down East is best remembered for its climatic scene in which Lillian Gish’s character, Anna, is rescued from doom on an icy river (pictured).

Way Down East was heavy censored. The Pennsylvania film board demanded over sixty cuts, rendering the story meaningless. The mock marriage and honeymoon between Lennox and Anna had to go, along with any hints of her pregnancy. Other cuts included scenes where society women smoked cigarettes and an intertitle, which featured the words “wild oats”.

Clara Bow Quotes: “When I was ten years old I knew what I wanted – to be a screen star was my idea of heaven. But what chance had I? My family was poor. We lived in a not too pleasing section of Brooklyn, and my only contact with the screen was an occasional visit to a neighbourhood theatre, paying my admission with pennies and nickels earned by taking care of neighbours’ children when not looking after my (sick) mother.”

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #159

Dear Reader,

I’ve completed the basic outline for Tula, my novel about an actress finding fame in the 1920s, and losing her mind in the process. Sixty-eight chapters. I’ve written the prologue and chapter one. The prologue is Tula’s asylum admission form, with her doctor’s notes. 

The form and notes are based on 1920s asylum records, and a record from my family archive – a Victorian aunt spent a number of years in an asylum. My youngest son, who hopes to become a psychologist, helped with my research. He also named the doctor, Dr Brooks.

Continuing my research into Eva Marie Saint’s ancestry using public records. I’m looking to answer two questions: was Eva’s talent the result of nurture, or nature? And why am I drawn to her as an actress? Can I find the answers to these questions in her roots?

I’ve traced the Saint family back to the 1900 US Federal Census, which reveals the following about the family:

John Q Saint
Age52
Birth DateDec 1847
BirthplaceIndiana, USA
Home in 1900Marshall, Marshall, Iowa
Ward of City2nd
StreetNorth Fourth Street
House Number410
Sheet Number17
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation412 322
Family Number447
RaceWhite
GenderMale
Relation to Head of HouseHead
Marital StatusMarried
Spouse’s NameLydia G Saint
Marriage Year1870
Years Married30
Father’s BirthplaceIndiana, USA
Mother’s BirthplaceIndiana, USA
OccupationPost Master
Months Not Employed0
Can ReadYes
Can WriteYes
Can Speak EnglishYes
House Owned or RentedRent
Farm or House

So, Eva Marie’s grandfather was John Q Saint, a postmaster from Indiana, now living in Iowa. In 1900, John had been married to Lydia for thirty years, and they had three children living with them, including Eva’s father, John.

John Q Saint’s neighbours all had respectable professions, as insurance and real estate agents, clerks, etc. The Saints lived in a respectable neighbourhood and, it would seem, enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle.

John Q Saint’s parents were from Indiana, but before searching for them, I’d like to discover more about John Q including what the Q stood for – Quentin? Quincy? Quillan?

More next time.

***

An official in 1922 checking that swimsuits were no more than six inches above the knee. However, emboldened by the right to vote, and the crazes for dance, jazz, ragtime and blues, women were in the mood to throw away the tape measures and challenge authority in general.

Alvin ‘Shipwreck’ Kelly, 1893 – 1952, achieved fame in the 1920s and 1930s as a pole sitter. He calculated that he spent 20,613 hours sitting on flagpoles, including 210 hours in sub-freezing weather and 1,400 hours in the rain. 

Kelly married Frances Vivian Steele, an elevator operator, a match clearly made in heaven, or at least close to it.

Some social historians contend that sex was ‘invented’ in the 1960s. However, the rest of us know that it began in the 1920s when people started necking in automobiles, like the Austin 7, introduced in 1922.

Aura Lee, Farewell, Series 1, Episode 14 of The Rockford Files contains echoes of the pilot episode. Lindsay Wagner reprises her role as Sara Butler. Bill Mumy, who was Sara’s brother in the pilot, also appears, but as a different character.

Bill Mumy appears as Trask, an artist. Trask’s paintings are abstracts, to say the least. In a classic exchange, Rockford asks Trask if he requires a permit to sell his paintings (because they are so bad). Trask replies, “I told you, I paint what I feel.” Rockford: “You must not feel well.”

My honest opinion: the premise of this episode was excellent – a senator is involved in a hit-and-run accident, which leads to murder. The resolution though was a bit convoluted, explained in a brief conversation, rather than shown over several scenes. 

Instead of the mystery, the writers of this episode decided to concentrate on Rockford and Sara’s relationship, which was fine because James Garner and Lindsay Wagner sparkled in their scenes.

Between 1700 and 1800 the population of London increased from 600,000 to over one million. The city established itself as the largest in the world, with commercial and military interests providing the bedrock.

London derived its energy from the free market, which basically meant ‘anything goes’. Services, goods and people – yes, people – could be bought without legislative restraint. Shipowners exploited the colonies while, at the other end of the scale, pickpockets sold gold watches. In eighteenth century London, these people were much of the same: steal from someone, then make a handsome profit.

Some people were offended by the scale of the greed. They compared London to a modern Babylon, devoid of morals and probity. However, writer James Boswell stated that his blood ‘thrilled with pleasure’ and that he regarded London as a city of happiness.

Maybe Boswell didn’t notice that, at its heart, London was still a medieval city without the capacity to deal with a huge rise in the population. In the eighteenth century,  London became notorious for its high volume of prostitutes, it’s large numbers of feral children, and its disgruntled mobs.

Wise heads reasoned that such chaos could not continue, that the quest for ever-larger profits was unsustainable, that the city was in danger of spiralling out of control. The wise heads were proved right because by the fourth quarter of the century, revolution was in the air.

🖼 London from the east, 1751.

John Charles was born on 27 December 1931. He is regarded by many as Wales’ finest-ever footballer. Indeed, many rate him as Britain’s greatest all-round footballer.

During his glory years at Leeds United and Juventus, John excelled as a centre-forward and as a centre-back. He moved to Leeds United, in 1949, from his hometown club, Swansea Town. After a break for National Service, John was the Second Division’s top goalscorer in 1954. 

As club captain in 1955, John led Leeds United to second place and promotion. The following season, Leeds finished eighth in the First Division while John was the division’s top goalscorer.

John’s qualities included strength, pace, technique and vision. Furthermore, he was a great header of a football and possessed a keen eye for goal.

John’s qualities attracted the attentions of Italian giants, Juventus. In his five seasons with Juventus, John won the Scudetto three times and the Coppa Italia twice. 

In 1962, John returned to Leeds; moves to Roma and Cardiff City followed. He was never cautioned nor sent off during his entire career. Indeed, John’s respect for his opponents earned him the nickname Il Gigante Buono – The Gentle Giant.

John represented Wales over a period of fifteen years, from 1950 to 1965. In 1958, he was a member of the Wales World Cup squad.  During that tournament, John scored in the 1 – 1 draw with Hungary. 

Injury ruled John out of the quarter-final against Brazil. Wales lost 1 – 0. Who knows what would have happened if John had been fit to participate in that match.

Next week, more news about my new project, Tula, plus background information.

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #158

Dear Reader,

Delighted to say that my books are now available in twelve languages. Here’s my latest, the Dutch version of Operation Broadsword, Eve’s War Heroines of SOE book three, my 112th translation 🙂

Continuing my research into Eva Marie Saint’s ancestry using public records. I’m looking to answer two questions: was Eva’s talent the result of nurture, or nature? And why am I drawn to her as an actress? Can I find the answers to these questions in her roots?

John Merle Saint. Picture courtesy of Eva Marie Saint.

I’ve discovered that John Merle Saint was Eva Marie’s father and that he served in World War One. Today’s record is a US World War One Draft Registration Card. This card provides the following information:

John Merle Saint
RaceCaucasian (White)
Marital StatusSingle
Birth Date13 Oct 1891
Birth PlaceIowa
Residence Date1917-1918
Street Address354 So. Highland
Residence PlacePittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA
Draft Board06
Physical BuildSlender
HeightMedium
Hair ColorBrown
Eye ColorBrown

So, John Merle Saint was born in Iowa, another good lead, one which should enable me to locate his parents. This record also led me to other World War One records that featured John, including his burial record. John was buried, on 18 July 1965, at Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This name strongly suggests that the region was developed by Welsh settlers, so does that mean that Eva Marie has Welsh roots? More research required.

***

Profit and Loss, Series 1, Episodes 12 & 13 of The Rockford Files is a two-parter. Written by John Thomas James and Stephen J. Cannell this is the strongest Rockford story to date. If you are new to the series, start with this one.

Profit and Loss contains a great storyline with sparkling dialogue. James Garner is having a ball with this story; his comic timing is perfect while his casual asides are sublime. Also, some social commentary about business corruption adds depth to the story.

There’s a great running joke about the trash dispenser, plus Beth and Becker make an appearance. If the writers could have included Angel, this would have been the perfect Rockford episode. As it is, it comes very close.

The answer machine message is brilliant too: (Slightly manic voice) “Hey, Jimmy – this here’s Teeter Skerritt. Remember me? From the Army. I’m stuck here in town. How ‘bout I come over and bunk with you, buddy?”

Ned Beatty, who co-starred in Profit and Loss. 📸 Wikipedia.

My latest article for the Seaside News appears on page 34 of the magazine.

Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in effect closed London’s hospitals because most hospitals at that time were run by the Church.

Henry VIII’s successors re-founded some of these hospitals, although their purpose differed from the hospitals of today. In the seventeenth century hospitals served the poor and destitute; they were places of shelter rather than centres of medical treatment.

Some hospitals specialised. For example, St Mary Bethlehem, pictured, was established for ‘lunatic people’ while St Thomas’ in Southwalk was established for the ‘sick and aged’. 

People of means were expected to pay for their upkeep. However, many hospitals provided the poor with bedding, clothes, food and three pints of ale a day.

Mel Charles was born on 14 May 1935. The brother of the legendary John Charles, Mel was a versatile player. He played as a centre-half, centre-forward and wing-half.

In 1952, Mel turned professional with his local club, Swansea Town. After seven years at the Second Division club, he secured a lucrative move to First Division Arsenal. However, injury blighted his period at the Gunners and, in February 1962, he joined Cardiff City, enjoying a three-year spell with the club. In total, Mel scored 122 goals in 401 league and cup matches.

At international level, Mel represented Wales on 31 occasions, scoring six goals. He captained Wales and was a member of his country’s 1958 World Cup squad. He also represented Wales in the British Home Championship over eight seasons.

In the BHC, Mel scored four goals in a 4 – 0 win over Northern Ireland, becoming only the third Welshman to score four goals in an international game.

One other remarkable fact about Mel: throughout his illustrious career he was never booked or sent off.

Mel Charles 📸 Arsenal.com

Clara Bow was born into a family of alcoholics and psychologically damaged people. Abuse, in all its ugly forms, was common. Clara’s family needed help, but in New York in 1905 few people, and certainly not the authorities, were prepared to offer a helping hand.

Clara’s neighbourhood was a network of slums and brothels, populated by the likes of ‘Submarine’ Mary – her name speaks for itself. House fires were common. Cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, smallpox and tuberculosis were rife. Violence was a way of life. 

During the summer heatwave of 1905, the New York infant mortality rate was estimated at eighty percent. Clara’s parents, Robert and Sarah, were convinced that she would die, so they didn’t even bother obtaining a birth certificate.

To understand Clara’s later choices in life, you need to understand where she came from: a hellhole where love was just a four-letter word. 

Welcome to the world, Clara Bow. 

Next week, news about my new project, Tula, plus background information.

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #157

Dear Reader,

I’m excited to introduce a new project, Tula, a novel set in the 1920s. Tula is an actress who has climbed from the gutter to become a major star in Hollywood. However, as the story opens, she is in an asylum. How did she get there? 

Tula believes that the recent death of her father triggered her emotional collapse. However, as she chronicles the first twenty-four years of her life, she discovers the true trigger for her breakdown.

This story might sound dark, but light arrives in the shape of Tula’s determination to escape from poverty, and her strength in facing up to and overcoming her emotional problems.

Continuing my research into Eva Marie Saint’s ancestry using public records. I’m looking to answer two questions: was Eva’s talent the result of nurture, or nature? And why am I drawn to her as an actress? Can I find the answers to these questions in her roots?

Today’s record is the 1930 census. This census confirms that Eva was born in New Jersey, that at the age of five she was attending school and literate, and that she lived with her older sister, Adelaide, and her parents, John and Eva. John was a credit man for a rubber company, Eva Senior was a housewife.

Eva’s family rented a home on 81 Street, Queens, New York. Most of their neighbours were born in New York. However, their parents came from Austria, Russia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Ireland. They were merchants, bookkeepers, salesmen, secretaries, photographers and hairdressers. 

This was an immigrant area, not the poorest, not the richest. Unlike some actresses, Eva did not enjoy a gilded path to fame and fortune; she had to work for her success. That is something I can relate to, and it partially answers one of my questions. 

However, for the full answers, I need to explore Eva’s parents’ records. More, next time.

***

In the seventeenth century, London’s doctors qualified through an apprenticeship. They set bones, tended injuries and bled patients. Physicians represented a different branch of medicine. They qualified through universities and advised on diet, exercise and drugs.

Treatments centred on purging, sweating and bleeding in an attempt to restore the balance of a patient’s body. 

Physicians charged a fee, usually between 10 and 20 shillings, which placed them well out of the reach of many Londoners.

For day-to-day medical treatments, Londoners visited barbers. Along with offering a haircut and a shave, a barber would bleed a client and draw his teeth. 

Medicines were sold by apothecaries, who developed into pharmacists. These medicines were derived from herbs, plants and vegetables and sold for a penny per dose.

Many of the treatments were ineffective, which led to challenges by ‘new scientists’ like Nicholas Culpepper, pictured. The establishment hated Culpepper because he challenged their cosy cartel, stated that high medical fees were ‘un-Christian’, and because he treated London’s poor.

Caledonia – It’s Worth a Fortune! Series 1, Episode 11 of The Rockford Files. All writers have standby plots. One of John Thomas James’ standby plots was ex-cons looking for hidden money. In Caledonia, JTJ delivered a neat twist at the end.

This episode was directed by Stuart Margolin, a talented actor/director. While Margolin’s direction was always crisp, his greatest contribution to The Rockford Flies was his portrayal of Angel, one of the great support characters of American television. James Garner’s interactions with Stuart Margolin were always a delight to watch.

We are eleven episodes in but Angel, Beth and Becker are yet to appear as regular characters. Even Rocky has only made fleeting appearances at this point. The Rockford Files always had a strong sense of direction, but the series grew in strength when the support characters became regulars.

Stuart Margolin

Len Allchurch, born 12 September 1933, enjoyed a distinguished footballing career, which spanned nearly twenty years. During that time he represented Sheffield United, Swansea Town and Stockport County. 

Born in Swansea, and the brother of the legendary Ivor Allchurch, Len also won eleven caps for Wales and was a member of his country’s 1958 World Cup squad.

In 1950, at the age of seventeen, Len began his professional career with Swansea Town. In March 1961, for a fee of £18,000, he signed for Sheffield United. Len scored six goals in eight games and helped his new club to clinch promotion. 

Over the following three seasons, Len scored 37 goals in 140 appearances for Sheffield United before, in March 1965, transferring to Stockport County. His transfer fee: £10,000, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

Eventually, Len’s career turned full circle and he ended his professional days at his home club, Swansea Town.

Len enjoyed many highlights during his long and distinguished career, but perhaps this remains the most remarkable fact: he did not receive a single caution or booking throughout his entire Football League career.

Len Allchurch 📸 BBC

I’m researching the life of Clara Bow, a superstar in the 1920s. However, before exploring Clara’s life, where did the Bows come from? The answer is England. Like many of their generation, they set sail for America in the 1600s and became planters in Hartford.

The early American Bows were wealthy men and women. However, by the time Clara was born in New York in 1905, the family fortune had long gone. Indeed, Clara’s father Robert flitted from one humble occupation to another, and between 1905 and 1923 the family lived at fourteen different addresses.

Clara Bow was a superstar in the 1920s, yet her birth was not even recorded. Piecing the facts together from various records, a birthdate of 29 July 1905 looks the most likely candidate. Why wasn’t Clara’s birth registered? There were several reasons.

One, Clara’s father, Robert, was often absent from the family home. Two, Clara and her mother, Sarah (pictured), were ill after the birth, and their illnesses were exacerbated by a New York heatwave. Indeed, Sarah was in such poor physical, and probably mental, condition that a doctor warned her not to become pregnant.

Clara was Sarah’s third child. Her first daughter, Alene, was stillborn on 25 June 1903 while her second daughter, Emily, was born and died on 13 May 1904. Given this background, it was a minor miracle that Clara made it to 30 July, let alone beyond.

***

In this month’s issue of Mom’s Favorite Reads…

Multi-award winning author/poet Jessica Bell interviewed by Wendy H Jones. Plus, Author Features, Health, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Recipes, Short Stories, Young Writers, International Country Music Day, and so much more!

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

#1 for value with 565,000 readers, The Fussy Librarian has helped my books to reach #1 on 32 occasions.

A special offer from my publisher and the Fussy Librarian. https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/?ref=goylake

Don’t forget to use the code goylake20 to claim your discount 🙂