Tag: Wales

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #156

Dear Reader,

Are actresses/writers/etc born or made? Where does their talent come from? To answer this question, I intend to trace the ancestry of creative people born in the first quarter of the twentieth century, to see if their ancestors displayed any creative traits.

I’m starting with my favourite actress, Eva Marie Saint. Eva Marie Saint first came to my attention in the movie ‘36 Hours’, where she co-starred with my favourite actor, James Garner. After that, I enjoyed her classic performances in movies such as On The Waterfront and North by Northwest.

Eva Marie Saint’s acting career is well documented. For this project, I’m interested in the period before she was famous, and in her ancestors’ roots. Where was she born? Where did her ancestors come from? What trades did they follow? Time to search the records…

I’ve found Eva in the 1940 United States Federal Census. This is a public record. The census reveals Eva’s age, approximately 15, that she lived with her sister, Adelaide aged 17, and her parents, John Saint, 48, and Eva, 43. The family lived in Bethlehem, Albany, New York. John was a District Credit Manager for a tyre company while Eva’s mother was a housewife. Their neighbours were chemists, printers, engineers and a piano teacher, so a pleasant district. 

The piano teacher hints at local artistic endeavours, but nothing to directly link Eva’s family with the arts, as yet. Nevertheless, a good start with plenty of leads to follow.

***

As London developed during the seventeenth century, the city saw great advances in medicine, science and philosophy. It became a home to the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal Society. Many learned people made a positive contribution to the sciences. However, London also attracted its fair share of quacks.

The quacks peddled a wide range of ‘miracle’ cures, especially for embarrassing diseases like syphilis. The quacks used to gather at the gates of St Bartholomew’s Hospital. There, William Salmon sold an ‘Elixir of Life’, and an antidote to the plague.

Anne Laverenst ran her business in Arundel Street. She treated syphilis and removed women’s bladder stones. Coffee houses were also popular locations for quacks. These establishments carried advertisements for cures such as ‘Fletcher’s Powder’, which was effective ‘against all diseases, except death’. 

🖼 William Hogarth’s ‘The Visit to the Quack Doctor’.

Ivor Allchurch, the sixth of seven children, was born on 16 October 1929 in Swansea to Charles Wilfried Allchurch and Mabel Sarah Allchurch, née Miller. Ivor’s parents were originally from Dudley, Worcestershire, but they moved to Swansea post World War I in search of work.

After school, Ivor worked in a foundry and a fish market. However, his main passion was football. An inside-forward, he began his professional career with Swansea Town. He remained with the club for ten years, scoring over 100 goals.

Ivor training with Swansea in 1951. 📸 National Museum of Wales.

Aged 28, Ivor moved to Newcastle United for a fee of £28,000. Four seasons later, he joined Cardiff City for £18,000, then finished his career back at his hometown club, Swansea Town.

In total, Ivor won 68 caps for Wales, a record at the time. Along with Trevor Ford, he was the leading goal scorer for his country, scoring 23 goals, a record eventually broken by Ian Rush. 

Ivor made his international debut on 15 November 1950 in a 4 – 2 defeat to England. During the 1958 World Cup, he scored twice for Wales and helped his country to reach the quarter finals.

In qualifying for the 1958 World Cup, Ivor scored in both legs of the play-off match versus Isreal. In the finals itself he scored in a 1 – 1 draw versus Mexico and in the 2 – 1 group play-off victory against Hungary.

Wales captain Dave Bowen praised Ivor for his World Cup performances. He said, “They looked at Ivor and wondered where he had been hiding. He could have played for any of the teams out there, including Brazil.”

In 1962, Ivor won his 50th Welsh cap in a match against Scotland. He ended his illustrious international career in 1966 in a match against Chile, bowing out with the accolade of “The Golden Boy of Welsh Football.”

***

Clara Bow was, arguably, America’s first major superstar. At the apex of her stardom in 1929 she received 45,000 fan letters a month. Yet, Clara was born into abject poverty. Indeed, it’s possible that her birth was not even recorded. Certainly, no record of her birth survives.

Various records list Clara’s birthday as 29 July, but the years vary – 1905, 1906 and 1907. The 1910 US census was taken on 15 April. Clara was recorded as aged four in that census, which suggests she was born in 1905.

The 1910 census also recorded that Clara was one of three children born to her parents, Robert and Sarah, but the only one alive. A heat wave gripped her home city, New York, in July 1905, with temperatures topping 100 °F. Many people died.

Later, Clara wrote: “I don’t suppose two people ever looked death in the face more clearly than my mother and I the morning I was born. We were both given up, but somehow we struggled back to life.”

To be continued…

***

The Dexter Crisis, Series 1, Episode 10 of The Rockford Files was written by Gloryette Clark. John Thomas James and Stephen J Cannell had authored the previous episodes. The pace of this episode was slightly slower than previous episodes – nothing wrong with that.

Gloryette Clark was a long-time associate of Roy Huggins, aka John Thomas James. She served as writer, director, film editor and stock footage librarian. An external motel shot in this episode was the same as a shot in episode 9, In Pursuit of Carol Thorne. These shots were expensive to produce, so it’s understandable that they were reused. 

Las Vegas was a main location for this story, but no filming took place there. The cover shots were all stock footage, although you don’t notice this as the story unfolds.

None of the series regulars – Rocky, Beth, Becker or Angel – feature in this episode, which makes me wonder if it was adapted from a standard private eye story into a Rockford Files story. That said, Rockford’s traits do stand out, especially when he’s reluctant to thump someone, despite provocation.

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #155

Dear Reader,

“Comic book characters never grow old, evergreen heroes whose stories are told.” – Bernie Taupin. It seems to me that every actor has a ‘perfect’ moment, a moment you remember forever. Eva Marie Saint was 98 recently, but I’ll always think of her as 35 in North By Northwest.

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

The River Thames was, of course, central to London’s development. The dockyards and shipbuilding thrived, and both industries employed a number of my ancestors. Two of London’s most important dockyards were Deptford and Woolwich, with their strategic positions on the Thames.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries corruption in the dockyards was rife. Clerks and labourers were badly paid. Consequently, they cheated the system by falsifying records and siphoning-off goods. Samuel Pepys tried to combat the corruption by introducing new systems of record-keeping, to no avail.

Pepys also reformed the navy and made it more professional. He introduced improved standards for ship construction – which affected the shipbuilding Stokes and Wilder branches of my family – victualling, discipline, officer training and seamen’s welfare. Seamen’s hospitals, like the one in Greenwich, were built, and in later life some of my naval ancestors spent their final years there.

🖼 Samuel Pepys, portrait by John Hayls, 1666.

In Pursuit of Carol Thorne, Series 1, Episode 9 of The Rockford Files is a neat episode where a group of cons try to out-con each other while looking for stolen loot. John Thomas James aka series co-creator Roy Huggins outlined this story. He used this stolen loot motif in another of his successful series, Alias Smith and Jones.

Rockford’s father, Rocky, appears in this episode, but it’s interesting to note that attorney Beth Davenport and Sergeant Dennis Becker are yet to feature regularly. The series was still finding its feet at this stage.

The Rockford producers tried to shoot ten pages of script a day. James Garner appeared on most of those pages, which indicates how hard he worked on The Rockford Files.

This week’s answer machine message was a good one: “This is the Message Phone company. I see you are using our unit, now how about paying for it?

📸 James Garner with Lynette Mettey, who played Carol Thorne.

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.

📸 BBC

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.

***

Operation Zigzag, Eve’s War Heroines of SOE, book one, has returned to the top of the Amazon charts. Many thanks to everyone who has made this possible.

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #154

Dear Reader,

Find Me If You Can, Series 1, Episode 8 of The Rockford Files opens with an intriguing premise: a client, Barbara, hires Rockford to find her. She offers him no information about herself, so the task looks difficult. However, Rockford rises to the challenge.

Paul Michael Glaser, pictured, is suitably dark as the villain, while the overall theme of the story is noir-ish. Indeed, Chandler’s Marlowe would have felt at home on these mean streets.

Lots of great dialogue in this one. Rocky (Rockford’s father) on observing a cut near his son’s left eye, “Look at that gash – two inches to the right, and you’d have been missing that eye.” Rockford, “Two inches to the left and he would have missed me completely.”

📸 Wikipedia

By 1700 London was becoming the hub of an empire. This was reflected in the grand buildings and squares that developed in the West End. The population grew and inns sprang up to profit from the traffic that travelled between the city and the provinces.

London was also becoming a city of contrasts. While some people lived in masons with halls, parlours, dining rooms, bedrooms, chambers, and servants, others made do with two rooms and possibly a stable, while the poorest of the poor resided in cellars.

By 1720 London no longer resembled its medieval roots. The major developments were still taking place north of the River Thames. However, around this time the expansion of Southwark and Westminster started in earnest.

🖼 A view of London from the east in 1751.

In this month’s issue of our #1 ranked magazine…

Author Libby Klein interviewed by Wendy H Jones. Plus, Author Features, Health, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Recipes, Short Stories, Young Writers, Book Lovers Day, and so much more!

Welsh Football Legends

William David Davies, popularly known as Dai, was born on 1 April 1948 in Glanamman in the Amman Valley. Football was in the family genes because his father played at amateur level and had trials for Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Dai’s talent as a goalkeeper was recognised early. Aged 12 he represented his village under-18 team and aged 15 he played for Ammanford Town. 

A good all round sportsman, Dai also played rugby. However, with football making ever-more demands on his time, he quit rugby to concentrate on his goalkeeping. This decision paid off when, in 1969, he turned professional, aged 21.

By this stage of his career, Dai had also qualified as a physical education instructor. However, the lure of Swansea Town was too strong and he opted to place his PE career on hold and play for the club.

Swansea Youth, with Dai in goal, enjoyed an excellent run in the English Youth Cup. An Everton scout spotted him and in December 1970 he signed for the Football League champions. His transfer fee: £40,000. It was a great move for Dai and he played for Everton for seven seasons.

In 1977, Dai signed for Wrexham. His first season with Wrexham was a great success. The club experienced their lowest number of defeats in a season and they won the Football League Division Three title. 

Spells at Tranmere Rovers and Bangor City followed, along with second spells at Swansea and Wrexham. In total, Dai played 199 games for Wrexham and while at that club he made the majority of his Welsh team appearances – 28 out of 52 games.

Dai made his international debut on 16 April 1975 against Hungary. From that point, he enjoyed a consistent run missing only six out of 57 Wales games. His final appearance for his country occurred on 2 June 1982 versus France.

Dai enjoyed a varied life after his professional career. He published his autobiography, first in Welsh, Hanner Cystal a’ Nhad (‘Half as Good as My Father’), the title offering a tribute to his father. The English translation was titled ‘Never Say Dai’.

Dai had a financial interest in a Welsh book and craft shop, commentated on football for S4C, worked as a supply teacher, and ran a natural healing centre in Llangollen, which focused on  herbal medicine, massage, Pilates and reiki. 

Proud of his Welsh heritage, Dai was also a Druid and in 1978 he was initiated into the Gorsedd of Bards. He died on 10 February 2021, aged 72.

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #153

Dear Reader,

My latest translation, the Portuguese version of Operation Rose, Eve’s War Heroines of SOE, book seven.

The Big Ripoff, Series 1, Episode 7 of The Rockford Files is a strong episode with some noir touches. In the early episodes of the series there is a sense that Rockford is a ‘loser’ in that he’s always the one being ripped-off. That pattern changed as the series progressed and in this episode, financially at least, Rockford emerges as a winner.

Some neat dialogue, which sums up Rockford’s character. Marilyn, a model, “Is there anything you won’t do for money?”

Rockford, “I won’t kill for it, and I won’t marry for it. Other than that, I’m open to just about anything.”

📸 Jill Clayburgh who guest-starred as Marilyn.

Welsh Football Legends

David Lloyd Bowen was born in Maesteg on 7 June 1928. His professional career as a club footballer centred on two clubs – Northampton Town and Arsenal. 

After only 12 games for Northampton Town, David caught the eye of the Arsenal scouts. In the summer of 1950 he signed for Arsenal and understudied Joe Mercer at wing-half.

Picture: Arsenal.com

David’s Arsenal debut arrived on 24 March 1951 versus Wolverhampton Wanderers. In 1952-53 Arsenal won the First Division title. However, David only made two appearances. Indeed, he only secured a regular place in the first team when Joe Mercer retired in 1954. 

From the 1954-55 season, David played for Arsenal for the next decade. However, success for Arsenal proved elusive during that decade. He did play for a London XI in the final of the Inter Cities Fairs Cup, a two-legged affair that ended in a resounding 8 – 2 victory for FC Barcelona. 

A natural leader, David captained Arsenal in his final two seasons at the club. In total he played 162 matches for Arsenal.

In 1959, David returned to Northampton Town as player-manager. His spell at the club lasted for eight years. Operating on a tight budget, he built a strong team and guided that team from the Fourth Division to the First Division in five seasons.

After their meteoric rise, David and Northampton Town experienced mixed fortunes. Relegation, in 1967, led to a parting of the ways only for David to enjoy a second managerial spell at the club, between 1969 and 1972. In 1970 he had the dubious honour of managing Northampton Town when they lost 8 – 2 to Manchester United in the FA Cup. The legendary George Best scored six goals on that occasion.

On the international stage, David made his Wales debut in September 1954, in a friendly against Yugoslavia. In total, he won 19 caps for Wales and was team captain during the 1958 World Cup finals. Along with goalkeeper Jack Kelsey, David was the first Arsenal player to feature in a World Cup finals.

In the 1958 tournament, Wales drew 1 – 1 against Hungary, 1 – 1 against Mexico, and 0 – 0 against hosts Sweden. They won a play-off against Hungary, 2 – 1, and secured a quarter-final match against Brazil. In that game, 17-year-old Pele scored the winner. Pele scored a further five goals in the tournament: a hat-trick in a 5–2 semi-final win over France and a brace in Brazil’s first World Cup tournament victory, 5–2 over Sweden.

David also enjoyed a ten year stint as Wales manager, between 1964 and 1974. During that period, he was active at Northampton Town as general manager, secretary and club director. He also found time to write about the game and serve as a summariser for ITV alongside commentator Hugh Johns during their coverage of the 1966 World Cup final.

David died on 25 September 1995 in Northampton. Later, the club named the North Stand at their Sixfields Stadium in his honour.

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

For Authors

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Dear Reader

Dear Reader #152

Dear Reader,

My latest translation, the Italian version of Looking for Rosanna Mee, Sam Smith Mystery Series, book seventeen.

This Case is Closed, Series 1, Episode 6 of The Rockford Files is a feature-length episode. The series often featured ninety-minute episodes, which explored more complex plots, social issues, and included special guest stars. 

The longer episodes also allowed for a slower pace of direction, and longer scenes, such as the car chase at the beginning of This Case is Closed.

Joseph Cotton, pictured, appeared in this episode. A leading Hollywood actor during the 1940s, Joseph Cotton’s theatre, radio, movie and television credits are numerous. He appeared in many classics including Citizen Kane and The Third Man.

After the Great Fire of London in 1666 many individuals presented great schemes to rebuild and revolutionise the city. These individuals included John Evelyn, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. 

Their plans included replacing the narrow, dangerous and unsanitary medieval streets with avenues, piazzas, canals and fountains. 

A Fire Court – a panel of judges – was established to swiftly deal with legal issues and it soon became apparent that speed rather than any grand design would be the order of the day.

London was rebuilt at speed, mainly by utilising the foundation footprints established by Saxon and medieval predecessors. You could argue that a great opportunity was lost. Certainly, the Victorian slums that later followed support that argument.

🖼  John Evelyn’s plan for rebuilding London.

By 1676, the area of London destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666 had been completely rebuilt. Streets were widened while wooden civic buildings were rebuilt in stone. The architects looked to France, the Netherlands and Italy for stylistic inspiration.

Fifty-two churches were rebuilt while thirty-six were abandoned, their parishes merging with neighbouring parishes. The Great Fire represented an opportunity for transformation, but in general Londoners opted for continuity. Their principal aim was to get on with daily life. Therefore, they looked to replicate the past rather than create a city of the future.

Traffic increased, especially the flow of carts over London Bridge. In 1670 this led to the appointment of the first London traffic policemen. Compared to today, the traffic travelled on the opposite side of the road.

🖼 Ogilby and Morgan’s London Map of 1677.

Welsh Football Legends

Robert Earnshaw was born on 6 April 1981 in Mufulira, a mining town in Zambia. He was one of five children born to David and Rita Earnshaw. David managed a gold mine while Rita was a professional footballer in Zambia.

Football was deeply engrained in the Earnshaw family. Robert’s uncle, Fidelis, played professional football while two of his cousins, Kalusha and Johnson Bwalya, represented Zambia at international level.

School for Robert was different to say the least. His father secured a job in Malawi as the manager of a coal mine. The family relocated to Malawi where the children attended St Andrew’s School in Lilongwe, a six-hour drive from the family home. On Mondays Robert and his four siblings boarded a plane to school, stayed a week then, on Fridays, flew home.

Sadly, in May 1990, David Earnshaw contracted typhoid fever and died. In 1991, Rita decided to relocate. She moved her family to Bedwas, Wales, where her sister lived.

Robert later reflected, “It was the first time I had been away from Africa…Every little thing was different, everyone spoke English over here and although I could speak a little bit I had to learn. But when you’re a kid you just get on with it.”

In Wales, Robert developed his soccer skills, kicking a football around with his friends and classmates. Aged 12 he joined GE Wales and scored 80 goals in a single season.

Robert’s skills attracted the attention of Cardiff City. He made his professional debut on 6 September 1997 as a substitute during a 2–0 defeat to Millwall. It took time and a number of loan spells before Robert established himself in the Cardiff City first team. Hat-tricks and honours followed as Robert helped Cardiff City to the First Division in 2002-03.

Robert enjoyed a nomadic professional career playing for several English clubs along with clubs in Canada, Israel, and the United States before, in July 2012, returning to Cardiff City. His transfer fees totalled £12,650,000.

Robert could have played for Zambia. However, he decided to represent Wales. He reasoned, “I thought long and hard about what to do, but Wales was my country. It was where I grew up.”

Robert won Wales caps at youth and under-21 level. His excellent displays in a Welsh shirt and at club level earned him a place in the national side. Robert made his debut in May 2002 against Germany at the Millennium Stadium. He made sure that it was a memorable occasion, scoring in a 1 – 0 win. Unsurprisingly, he was named man of the match.

Robert cemented his place in the national team and became a leading member of the Euro 2004 qualifying squad. Another highlight of Robert’s career occurred in 2004 when he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 friendly win over Scotland.

Over a decade, Robert represented Wales on 59 occasions, scoring 16 goals. On 25 May 2011 he had the honour of captaining his country against Scotland in the Nations Cup.

A remarkable fact about Robert’s career: he is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League, all three divisions of the English Football League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and for his country in an international match.

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 🙂