Month: November 1985

Highs and Lows In Cardiff & London, Including A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen At St Stephen’s Theatre Space, Early November 1985

Inside of St Stephen’s Reimagined by Nano Banana Lite 2 on my instruction.

Sunday, 3 November 1985 – not a very nice day – mum and dad went to aborted wedding – I did exam (had Chinese after).

I have no recollection of this aborted wedding incident and cannot imagine whose intended wedding it wasn’t. I sense that mum in particular was upset by the business.

Monday, 4 November 1985 – office ok – I suppose – quiet evening at home.

Tuesday, 5 November 1985 – work ok – lazy-ish evening in.

Wednesday, 6 November 1985 – office ok – took folks out for Greek meal in evening (anniversary).

Not just any anniversary – it was their 30th wedding anniversary. A Greek meal might have been more appropriate for the 20th (China), but I’m sure they thought that me taking them out was a pearl of a gesture.

Thursday, 7 November 1985 – work ok – went to backseat drivers class in evening.

Friday, 8 November 1985 – Odd day at work – Sujen send off at lunchtime – long lunch! Went to Cardiff [to visit Jilly Black] in evening – Italian meal etc.

Saturday, 9 November 1985 – Earlyish start but did little – day went quick. Went to see Ibsen Doll’s House and for Chinese meal in evening.

OK, I have managed to find a newspaper clipping about that Doll’s House production in Cardiff. It seems we attended the last night.

Doll's House Argus Doll’s House Argus 1 Nov 1985 South Wales Argus (Newport, Gwent, Wales) Newspapers.com

From another mention in The Argus it seems we parted with £3.50 each, back when £3.50 was real money for a cushioned pew and a cup of cold coffee, unless Jilly’s student status entitled us to a discount.

Strangely, I remember the production as being rather good, although it was somewhat surpassed when Janie and I saw Janet McTeer, Owen Teale & John Carlisle in A Doll’s House more than 10 years later – unfair comparison, I know, I know.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, The Playhouse, 27 December 1996

Sunday 10 November 1985 – early start – went to Polly’s for lunch – left in afternoon – quiet evening at home.

I seem to recall that Polly was a charming young woman with a strident Welsh Nationalist boyfriend, which seemed super-cool at the time.

Monday 11 November 1985 – work ok – studied in evening for home exam.

Tuesday 12 November 1985 – work ok – did some academic work in the evening.

Wednesday 13 November 1985 – busyish day at the office – lousy journey – did home exam in evening.

Thursday, 14 November 1985 work ok-ish – felt pretty low in evening – didn’t go to drivers class.

Don’t worry about me, dear reader – I went to Keele for the weekend the next day and that made me feel happy again for a while. Until the next episode…

Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2 November 1985

Image from e-bay, click here, where this programme can be bought

This theatre visit predates my relentless keeping of programmes and logs. Aspects of it are well-logged in my memory – the fact that Lauren Bacall played The Princess Kosmonopolis and the fact that the production was at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, for example.

It had slipped my memory, however, that Harold Pinter, one of my heroes, was the director. I was probably seduced by that fact, combined with a chance [did you see what I did there?] to see Lauren Bacall in a play that I had studied with dry-mouthed admiration at school; it indeed had been this play that turned me on to Tennessee Williams.

West End ticket prices for hot shows, even in those days, were a stretch for an apprentice professional lad just down from University and would also have been a stretch for Bobbie – just embarking on her second year of pupillage. But stretch we did, and, with hindsight, delighted that we stretched am I.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this play/production. This tells me that the production had been doing the rounds of theatres royal and palace-like, prior to autumn at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Full formal reviews will take some digging, but Harold himself got there before me with a super one-pager summarising the best of the notices – click here to link to that page. In the unlikely event that misfortune befalls haroldpinter.org, click here for a scrape of that page.

I have rummaged for some interesting newspaper stuff on this production as well as reviews. Here’s a reflective piece by Roy Hattersley, of all people, suggesting that this play/production is not for young folk. Try telling that to 23-year-old me and 22 year-old Bobbie:

Bird Hattersley Guardian Bird Hattersley Guardian 31 Aug 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Here is my friend, Michael Billington’s formal review from The Guardian:

Bird Billington Guardian Bird Billington Guardian 11 Jul 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

John Bird also reviews positively, adding to Billington’s praise of Michael Beck (Chance), James Grout (Boss Finlay) and Frances Cuka (Miss Lucy).

Bird Barber Telegraph Bird Barber Telegraph 11 Jul 1985 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

I didn’t see many productions reviewed by Milton Shulman – our eras barely overlapped. In truth the late-period Shulman said little about this one:

Bird Shulman Standard Bird Shulman Standard 10 Jul 1985 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Here is an interview by Nicholas de Jongh with the lauded Michael Beck:

de Jongh Guardian Standard de Jongh Guardian Standard 9 Jul 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

In short – do I remember this as a production and night at the theatre that cut the mustard? Unequivocally yes.

The Rest Of October 1986: Work & Some Lunches/Evenings With Friends & Colleagues

That would take a bit of careful eating in Cavendish Square. Image by Nano Banana Lite 2 from Googe Flow on my instruction.

Mum & Dad must have been away at that time; they got into the habit of going away late October into November after dad retired – although this would have been their last holiday before he retired. I might be able to work out where they went etc from their old photographs from that period – I haven’t yet excavated that part of the family photo archive in any depth.

Petra popped down to London a couple of times during that period, I see and indeed recall.

I’d also started socialising a bit with work colleagues, I see.

Monday, 21 October 1985 – office OK – did some studying/stayed in evening.

Tuesday, 22 October 1985 office OK – did some work in the evening etc.

Wednesday, 23 October 1985 – work okay – went over to Andrea’s after work for nice meal very pleasant evening – stayed over.

Thursday 24 October 1985 – office OK – went to salt beef bar [Presumably The Brass Rail]/Cavendish Square for lunch. Went to back seat drivers class in evening.

Friday, 25 October 1985 – work ok – went out to lunch with Hayden, Spencer & Ming – Had a lazy evening in.

Saturday, 26 October 1985 – did work in morning – shopped afternoon – met Petra [Wilson] in evening – went up west (St James’s Park -> Mayflower) > my place.

Sunday 27 October 1985 – saw Petra off – lunch – went to Grandma Jenny in the afternoon. Early night.

Monday, 28 October 1985 – work ok – did nothing in evening.

Tuesday 29 October 1985 – office ok – stayed in evening.

Wednesday, 30 October 1985 – work okay. Met John Boy [White] after work – drink – Chinese – etc. Very pleasant.

Thursday 31 October 1985 office ok – went to backseat drivers in the evening – ok.

Friday 1 November. 1985 – work ok – met Caroline [Freeman, now Curtis] for lunch – had a quiet evening in.

Saturday 2 November 1985 – nice day. Met Petra in morning – went to Fortnum’s etc. – met Bobbie [Scully] in the evening – went to theatre [Sweet Bird Of Youth] and then for a meal.

I’ll write up Sweet Bird of Youth separately – that was some production.

University of Keele Students’ Union, Letter Requesting Help, 1 November 1985

I remember Nigel Dempster writing a whole load of factually inaccurate stuff about Keele Students’ Union generally and me in particular. I also remember writing a rebuttal, which the Daily Mail, surprisingly, published.

This letter request from June Aitken probably explains why I cannot find copies of the rebuttal and other materials – I suspect that I simply sent them to her without making further copies for myself. In 1985, photocopying/scanning was not the simple, almost automatic thing it is today.

Perhaps this letter from June is now all that remains of the Dempstergate debacle.

UKSU Letter 1 November 1985