Could you put Gracie’s song ‘Maggie’ on the website? Thanks.
Its been wonderful to see the new Blu-Ray disc releases of Gracie Fields and rekindling memories of my youth in entertainment.
I literally bumped into Gracie at the BBC which I think may have been run thru rehearsals at the time when I also was rehearsing for a children’s show as a lad. She did look frail and I commented humbly my Dad used to project your films around the villages of Kent in the early 40’s during wartime. She smiled asking did they like them? I like Sing as we go which Dad used to show on Pathe 17.5mm film I said. Bemused she said of good….
I think this was around 1977 but a great time to meet the variety artists if you were in entertainment. God bless you Gracie a great lady.
Hi – I am currently writing up my mothers memoirs/family history and one recollection she has was of visiting her Great Aunt in Belfast one summer in the early forties, when about aged 10 and hearing people in the street sayint Gracie Fields was singing up the road in the MIll – she ran up through the gates and saw her standing high up on the cranes in the mill, for all to see her, singing her songs. Do you have any photographs or newspaper reports relating to her visit there that I could place with the memories….hoping you can be of help! My mother clearly and fondly remembers the day….
I have a 3D plaque in a blue lined case with what I believe to be a signed card.
(similar to what is shown on your website)
I bought it from a charity auction in Kent in about 1983 but I do not know the history prior to that.
Would any of your members be interested in purchasing this from me?
Hi
My parents have a collection of Gracie Field memorabilia – particularly a lot of 78″ records/albums. also books and photographs. do you know before they get thrown out if anyone can make use of them anywhere?
Dear TOGF,
I’ve been trying to get more information about the life and work of John Flanagan, he was a friend of my late father (Thomas Mac-Fall) and the pair were involved in setting up the Renaissance Club for artists in Harrington Road, Kensington, in the late 50’s. I believe GF may well have helped Flanagan in this endeavour.
I notice John Flanagan had a brother Maurice and Maurice’s grand-daughter, Mary Lukyn, has provided you with information about her great-uncle, I would love to contact her if that is possible?
Finally, I think your website is exemplary, congratulations.
With warmest good wishes,
Nigel
Please can you tell me if Gracie Fields ever did a summer tour which included Kent? I have a memory from the late 1950s / early 1960s, watching an outdoor concert in the bandstand at the Royal Esplanade, Ramsgate. The song I remember her (or another female) singing, was ‘In my little bottom drawer’
Thank you.
Any suggestions where I might find the release dates for Gracie Fields songs? I found a few dates from the back cover on a couple CDs on this Websight. I still have over 75 songs left with unknown release date. I need the dates so they will play in my 130 year (Time Travel) play list.
A Discography listing all Gracie’s issued records (78s onwards) with dates, labels (HMV, Decca etc) and other details would be a very useful addition to your excellent website.
Just found the Discography info I was looking for – see https://www.discogs.com/
Maybe add a link to this from here?
Hello.
I have a 78 record of “Our Avenue” by Gracie Fields and in it is stamped “Factory sample not for sale” do you know if that rare?
Thanks.
Glenn
I’m trying to get a copy of “Shipyard Sally “ it’s not in DVD ,help !
By Jan 1st 2023 I will have ready an article on the family life story of Henry Parr Davies,I will be pleased to send you a copy. It tells the story of his mothers family connections with her relatives in Briton Ferry and a hillside cottage at my Aberavon. Best Regards Allen in Aberavon.
Harry Parr Davies correction.
My long departed mother (who was also1/2 Italian) knew Gracie Fields in the 1930’s as a teenager in London. She told me stories of being driven down Regent Street in a chauffer driven Rolls Royce and sitting in Gracie’s ‘Box’ in theatres.
After the war my mother, now married, was on a liner to Naples to visit the country she had never ever visited (due to Mussolini’s restrictions & WW2).
She arrived in Capri and sent a ‘note’ to Gracie and I have the reply on a post card of La Canzone del Mare signed by the great lady herself If you would like a copy I can send one, on receipt of an email address.
Best regards Andrew Hawkins
I am researching my Family Tree, my father (Royal Engineers) went thro’ Sicily, then on to Italy and finally over to Greece.
Before his death he told me that in Greece he caught Malaria and was hospitalised,
during this period of recovery he said that he saw Gracie Fields entertaining the troops on one of her Tours, this would have been in 1943 after which he was discharged, can anyone confirm the dates of her Greek Tour ?
Hi,
I’m a member of the archives team of the British Music Hall Society (a registered charity). We are in the process of reducing our archive storage space and regretfully we will mean the need to reduce the items that we are storing that are not strictly pure Music Hall artistes dating from performances between 1850/1910.
in our collection we have 1000 CDs, and regretfully those CDs of the artistes who were performing in the 30s 40s and 50s we will need to find new homes for. We have a collection of 27 different Gracie Fields CDs. i wondered if anyone within your Gracie Fields Appreciation Society might be interested. We also have a wide selection of other British artistes from the 30s 40s and 50s that I’d be happy to name should there be interest such as Hutch and Donald Peers etc.
best regards, Bill Haynes British Music Hall Society. william@canhaynes.com.
It’s very sad how streets and buildings have disappeared and been demolished. Lisa Stansfield’s home was demolished just the day before it was about to receive a Grade 2 listed status. Places like this should be preserved and looked after for generations to come. It’s amazing to see Milkstone Road hasn’t changed much building wise. Bertha’s Off Licence looks exactly the same, the windows, doors all in the same place, a dessert place now.
Have there been any new developments regarding the potential release of GF’s Miss Marple? I think the whole thing is abominable. Not only on the part of the company that owns the rights to the video and wants “silly money.” (Surely they must know they’ll never ever get silly money for it, no way, no how. Just release it on digital download or a dvd already and be happy you get any purchases, really. There’s a copy of Ten Little Indians from 1959, a much more important and relevant production, and that hasn’t exactly earned anyone silly money. Probably not even moderately goofy money.)
I find it especially egregious that a Christie biographer won’t share, even with other researchers. What a POS. Please just release his name. What a coward. Speaking of cowards, that private collector who let you and only you watch it is being silly. Just crop the video he sent and release it digitally on archive.org. It’s a simple process. You can even flip the entire video horizontally to further disguise whose print it was.
Your article is from 2015. This all happened almost 10 years ago. Any major commercial interest is well moot, but I’m genuinely worried these private collectors might die and their prints will die with them. What a shame. They must be a prideful, arrogant lot who never learned how to share.
Sir, please take a look at The Portsmouth News, 23-05-24 Your View page. A letter has been published responding your request for information regarding Gracie’s residence within Portsmouth.
I have a letter written by Gracie Fields when she had a residency in Victoria, British Columbia in 1964 and stayed in the Empress Hotel (it’s written on headed paper).
Gracie was a friend of Emily Sartain, a notable Canadian artist who specialised in watercolour paintings of flowers. I don’t know how close the friendship was but it is clear from the letter that Emily had given at least one of her paintings, a jug of violets, to Gracie who says it is in Peacehaven.
My mother had a very close friend called Betty who married a Canadian, Frank Steggles. Betty was a good friend of Emily Sartain (I have a photo of them together) and I can only presume that Emily gave the letter to Betty who passed it on to my mum.
I am willing to sell the letter if anyone is interested. It’s one side of hotel paper about 27cm x 17cm. gary.crease@gmail.com
My Grandad was a musician and played for Gracie Fields during the war. Our family have her Autograph .
Took mum to see Gracie at Rochdale in 1978
Thrill of Mums life
Could you put Gracie’s song ‘Maggie’ on the website? Thanks.
Its been wonderful to see the new Blu-Ray disc releases of Gracie Fields and rekindling memories of my youth in entertainment.
I literally bumped into Gracie at the BBC which I think may have been run thru rehearsals at the time when I also was rehearsing for a children’s show as a lad. She did look frail and I commented humbly my Dad used to project your films around the villages of Kent in the early 40’s during wartime. She smiled asking did they like them? I like Sing as we go which Dad used to show on Pathe 17.5mm film I said. Bemused she said of good….
I think this was around 1977 but a great time to meet the variety artists if you were in entertainment. God bless you Gracie a great lady.
Hi – I am currently writing up my mothers memoirs/family history and one recollection she has was of visiting her Great Aunt in Belfast one summer in the early forties, when about aged 10 and hearing people in the street sayint Gracie Fields was singing up the road in the MIll – she ran up through the gates and saw her standing high up on the cranes in the mill, for all to see her, singing her songs. Do you have any photographs or newspaper reports relating to her visit there that I could place with the memories….hoping you can be of help! My mother clearly and fondly remembers the day….
I have a 3D plaque in a blue lined case with what I believe to be a signed card.
(similar to what is shown on your website)
I bought it from a charity auction in Kent in about 1983 but I do not know the history prior to that.
Would any of your members be interested in purchasing this from me?
Hi
My parents have a collection of Gracie Field memorabilia – particularly a lot of 78″ records/albums. also books and photographs. do you know before they get thrown out if anyone can make use of them anywhere?
Dear TOGF,
I’ve been trying to get more information about the life and work of John Flanagan, he was a friend of my late father (Thomas Mac-Fall) and the pair were involved in setting up the Renaissance Club for artists in Harrington Road, Kensington, in the late 50’s. I believe GF may well have helped Flanagan in this endeavour.
I notice John Flanagan had a brother Maurice and Maurice’s grand-daughter, Mary Lukyn, has provided you with information about her great-uncle, I would love to contact her if that is possible?
Finally, I think your website is exemplary, congratulations.
With warmest good wishes,
Nigel
Please can you tell me if Gracie Fields ever did a summer tour which included Kent? I have a memory from the late 1950s / early 1960s, watching an outdoor concert in the bandstand at the Royal Esplanade, Ramsgate. The song I remember her (or another female) singing, was ‘In my little bottom drawer’
Thank you.
Any suggestions where I might find the release dates for Gracie Fields songs? I found a few dates from the back cover on a couple CDs on this Websight. I still have over 75 songs left with unknown release date. I need the dates so they will play in my 130 year (Time Travel) play list.
A Discography listing all Gracie’s issued records (78s onwards) with dates, labels (HMV, Decca etc) and other details would be a very useful addition to your excellent website.
Just found the Discography info I was looking for – see https://www.discogs.com/
Maybe add a link to this from here?
Hello.
I have a 78 record of “Our Avenue” by Gracie Fields and in it is stamped “Factory sample not for sale” do you know if that rare?
Thanks.
Glenn
I’m trying to get a copy of “Shipyard Sally “ it’s not in DVD ,help !
By Jan 1st 2023 I will have ready an article on the family life story of Henry Parr Davies,I will be pleased to send you a copy. It tells the story of his mothers family connections with her relatives in Briton Ferry and a hillside cottage at my Aberavon. Best Regards Allen in Aberavon.
Harry Parr Davies correction.
My long departed mother (who was also1/2 Italian) knew Gracie Fields in the 1930’s as a teenager in London. She told me stories of being driven down Regent Street in a chauffer driven Rolls Royce and sitting in Gracie’s ‘Box’ in theatres.
After the war my mother, now married, was on a liner to Naples to visit the country she had never ever visited (due to Mussolini’s restrictions & WW2).
She arrived in Capri and sent a ‘note’ to Gracie and I have the reply on a post card of La Canzone del Mare signed by the great lady herself If you would like a copy I can send one, on receipt of an email address.
Best regards Andrew Hawkins
I am researching my Family Tree, my father (Royal Engineers) went thro’ Sicily, then on to Italy and finally over to Greece.
Before his death he told me that in Greece he caught Malaria and was hospitalised,
during this period of recovery he said that he saw Gracie Fields entertaining the troops on one of her Tours, this would have been in 1943 after which he was discharged, can anyone confirm the dates of her Greek Tour ?
Hi,
I’m a member of the archives team of the British Music Hall Society (a registered charity). We are in the process of reducing our archive storage space and regretfully we will mean the need to reduce the items that we are storing that are not strictly pure Music Hall artistes dating from performances between 1850/1910.
in our collection we have 1000 CDs, and regretfully those CDs of the artistes who were performing in the 30s 40s and 50s we will need to find new homes for. We have a collection of 27 different Gracie Fields CDs. i wondered if anyone within your Gracie Fields Appreciation Society might be interested. We also have a wide selection of other British artistes from the 30s 40s and 50s that I’d be happy to name should there be interest such as Hutch and Donald Peers etc.
best regards, Bill Haynes British Music Hall Society. william@canhaynes.com.
It’s very sad how streets and buildings have disappeared and been demolished. Lisa Stansfield’s home was demolished just the day before it was about to receive a Grade 2 listed status. Places like this should be preserved and looked after for generations to come. It’s amazing to see Milkstone Road hasn’t changed much building wise. Bertha’s Off Licence looks exactly the same, the windows, doors all in the same place, a dessert place now.
Hi there
I have what I believe to be Gracie’s Autograph book.
(See https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266336216111)
Any interest, let me know
Have there been any new developments regarding the potential release of GF’s Miss Marple? I think the whole thing is abominable. Not only on the part of the company that owns the rights to the video and wants “silly money.” (Surely they must know they’ll never ever get silly money for it, no way, no how. Just release it on digital download or a dvd already and be happy you get any purchases, really. There’s a copy of Ten Little Indians from 1959, a much more important and relevant production, and that hasn’t exactly earned anyone silly money. Probably not even moderately goofy money.)
I find it especially egregious that a Christie biographer won’t share, even with other researchers. What a POS. Please just release his name. What a coward. Speaking of cowards, that private collector who let you and only you watch it is being silly. Just crop the video he sent and release it digitally on archive.org. It’s a simple process. You can even flip the entire video horizontally to further disguise whose print it was.
Your article is from 2015. This all happened almost 10 years ago. Any major commercial interest is well moot, but I’m genuinely worried these private collectors might die and their prints will die with them. What a shame. They must be a prideful, arrogant lot who never learned how to share.
Sir, please take a look at The Portsmouth News, 23-05-24 Your View page. A letter has been published responding your request for information regarding Gracie’s residence within Portsmouth.
I have a letter written by Gracie Fields when she had a residency in Victoria, British Columbia in 1964 and stayed in the Empress Hotel (it’s written on headed paper).
Gracie was a friend of Emily Sartain, a notable Canadian artist who specialised in watercolour paintings of flowers. I don’t know how close the friendship was but it is clear from the letter that Emily had given at least one of her paintings, a jug of violets, to Gracie who says it is in Peacehaven.
My mother had a very close friend called Betty who married a Canadian, Frank Steggles. Betty was a good friend of Emily Sartain (I have a photo of them together) and I can only presume that Emily gave the letter to Betty who passed it on to my mum.
I am willing to sell the letter if anyone is interested. It’s one side of hotel paper about 27cm x 17cm.
gary.crease@gmail.com
My Grandad was a musician and played for Gracie Fields during the war. Our family have her Autograph .
Took mum to see Gracie at Rochdale in 1978
Thrill of Mums life