Baxter began to turn work down not playing Captain Hook in a production of Peter Pan opposite Lulu, not appearing with Cannon and Ball at the Palladium. It was absolutely selfish. Millions were scandalised and breathless with laughter. He was left with a terror of being held up to public shame. For a journalist, it can be difficult to tell. Stanley Baxter is arguably the funniest man and one of the most fetching women in Britain. This was the defining moment of Stanleys life. Comments have been closed on this article. Er, or something like it. The Real Stanley Baxter, by Brian Beacom. Baxter would tell the whole truth, on condition that it remained a secret. Or just give her the only thing she had ever asked for to be with him. As a last shot I rang David White, who said I had been very naughty. And he turned it down. Tragically, however, in 1997, the year Princess Diana died, Moira took her own life. . When his friend Kenneth Williams's diaries were published posthumously in the early Nineties, he fought a legal battle to ensure nothing about his sex life was printed. There was to be no further co-operation. Surely his peers would wish to pay homage? Is there any likelihood of that happening? Instead of gaining the confidence to join them, he shied away, repelled by the high camp 'all chiffon hankies and make-up and flouncing about. And since that time he hasnt been able to surrender the thought had he not married the fragile, vulnerable woman she may have lived more of a happy life. Moira Robertson Doctor at CHUV Lausanne. What else did I expect? In January 1962, he visited the public toilets in Madras Place, Holloway, hoping to pick up a man for casual sex. Actor Stanley Baxter, 94, has bravely come out as gay and opened up about how his sexuality impacted his relationship with his wife Moira Robertson, who died in 1997. Face full of character. . Nobody would tell me. Stanley Baxter was a star of the Glasgow stage aged six, in 1932. You. marty odlin, running tide; jay mcgwire wife Menu Toggle. Favourite Place: My living room in [he named a very nice suburb of north London]. Meanwhile, on January 15, 1951, the engagement became national news, yet this didnt really register with Stanley. Wherever he is, I wish him well. Fixated,' he says. His agent was still stonewalling, and his old television company had forgotten him. I dont know if you got it? Autumn turning to winter before my eyes, and Stanley Baxter was not at home. The last panto was in 1991, wasnt it? She wanted to come, too. I told him of how she was slipping into little overdoses, and I would be going round to see her and reviving her. His pantos became legendary. London. Stanley Baxter is one of my all-time favourites, he said. Exasperated, his ITV television bosses told him they could no longer afford his extravaganzas. Anyway, here it is: a piece from a time before the internet or ubiquitous mobiles, when the celebrity age was just beginning but you still had to go to the library to look at the electoral register. Stanley asked the same question of himself but pushed the answer aside. Once stardom had been achieved, he limited his television appearances and won an unusual amount of power over how they were made. They all wanted him: Aspel, Parkinson. He directed shows himself, calling extra rehearsals if things were getting even a little sloppy mid-run, and coming down hard on anyone who attempted to ad lib. In fact, Mum showed her disapproval of Moira right from the start., Stanley agrees. His relationship with Marcus deepened and continued until the younger man died of lung cancer four years ago, though the two never lived together. Meanwhile, if you think about it, if you changed out of your pyjamas if you wear any into your clothes, then got to the theatre and for the rest of the afternoon you had 32 dress changes to make, then you go out for a cup of tea and change again, then you do 32 in the evening. My dad said This is a very big step you're taking, Stanley. I know it all sounds terribly old-fashioned but men had those expectations in those days., Now, Stanley admits another reason why he felt Moira should remain at home. Moira meanwhile, had pushed aside question marks against Stanleys sexuality, partly because she adored her boyfriend and loved his talent. Hanover, Ontario, Canada. . Brian Beacom For The Daily Mail, 'I don't find you funny either - but yet the whole world laughs at you': Sacha Baron Cohen responds to Trump's 'unfunny creep' jibe, Keeping them laughing until the end: Bobby Ball was still filming until weeks before his death aged 76 after positive Covid test, as co-star Lee Mack pays tribute to his 'hero' and devastated Tommy Cannon says: 'Rock on, my good friend'. bclc lotto app not working; signs your internship will turn into a job; mary suehr schmitz. His father was apparently a solid, reliable type who worked in insurance; it was his mother who encouraged the young Stanleys gift for mimicry, accompanying him on the piano while he did Harry Lauder impressions for friends and relatives. Private passions are what we care about most, skeletons in the cupboard; but even knowing the colour of the upholstery will do. Published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's I was just ringing for you. By that time, I had so many tender feelings for her, he explains. Of all those stories, it is hard to imagine anything more sad than this one. Kenneth Williams was among the first to be told and he couldnt believe his ears. Moira's behaviour became more alarming. He died aged just 26 and Stanley was heartbroken. It's that time of year again, when I choose to bore the bi-weekly pants off you all by relating my erstwhile greenhouse adventures and, more often than not, misadventures. moira robertson baxter. The spotlight was his. Managing Director. He did impersonations of Laurel and Hardy, and Mae West. But over the years, Moiras mental health issues worsened. The rest was silence. Im not entirely sure who I am. Stanley was up for the challenge. As his mother Bessie, a blacksmith's daughter, accompanied him on the piano, the boy belted out saucy music hall numbers with titles such as I'm One Of The Lads Of Valencia: 'You can't beat a Spaniard for kissing, Oh ladies, just think what you're missing!' Stellenbosch Chiropractic founder, Moira Robertson, has been living and working as a Chiropractor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2003 - 2015. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was making a mistake that would ruin both their lives, Baxter sat on the wedding bed and sobbed. 'And suddenly Kenny cut in, 'Yes! Its simple and has the few things I need warmth, decent light for reading, a gramophone and a TV if I wish to view. Bingo! He joined the Citizen's Theatre Company in the Gorbals, an idealistic group performing Ibsen and Shaw to working-class audiences. Moira asked me what was wrong and I said something about the emotion of it all. A search through the IoS cuttings library unearthed a few mentions of Baxter, one of them an unexpected tribute from Andy Bell, lead singer with the pop group Erasure and another man given to wearing extravagant frocks. Look, do you mind? Related: la vache la vache chanson parole, contra costa property tax bill lookup, simon the zealot symbol, richard ramirez last interview, hunter spider headset v4 setup, dunlop american elite problems, trane sacc nomenclature, john heilman website, atta boy urban dictionary, missouri tort victims' compensation fund attorney fees, where do sacramento kings players live, alchemy table . (Later in my quest, I rang the clubs charming PR woman. This was going nowhere. Tanned and fit-looking, straight-backed, with his broad face exactly as it was on the television years ago, eyes that were calm but curious, and slightly sparkling. Finally, I realised that I would have to let Stanley Baxter rest in peace. Rather than resolve the issue, I let it slip. He was happy to talk about the Scottish approach to pantomime, with its emphasis on storyline and tradition, but declined to talk about Baxter as a person. Stanley was freaked out at my turning up at his house. It was becoming obvious that the real Stanley Baxter was as studiously hidden as his Lycra supports. Should I have taken her to Cyprus? Moiras death left Stanley bereft. 2. Baxter was a most brilliant cowboy Coward, a smouldering Dietrich. But unknown to the world, Granny and the eponymous hero had decided to marry. Jacobs convinced the court that Baxter could not have been 'soliciting' when he was arrested because, apart from two policemen, there was no one else in the lavatories. I didn't want to know, but gradually I was falling in love.'. It said, words to the effect of, 'I'll let you off if you don't want to marry me'. . It was more than weakness. Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. I felt vulnerable. 'Marcus took me completely by surprise. The dark, often highly dramatic script of their life together began when he joined the Citz in 1948, shortly after being demobbed. She was 69 years old. His last was Mother Goose, at the Kings Theatre, Glasgow, in 1991. Perhaps it was time to forget it, let him be. She punched me and my glasses flew off. Other cuttings described him as practically a recluse. 'I couldn't put up with very long periods of not being with men,' he says frankly. Stanley's wife of over 45 years Moira Robertson died in 1997 . Brian Beacom 2020. I told her my preference and said, Thats why I am breaking off the relationship. But the question is also intriguing: how could someone who once inspired such affection slip from the public gaze so completely, in so short a space of time? Anybody who survived the Fifties is very adept at covering their trail, she said. Add a New Bio. No, for the reason I just gave. . He is completely woven into the Scottish psyche, says Mary Brennan, a critic for the Herald. He felt guilty when he moved out, unable to share a home with her any longer. Baxter appeared alongside Jimmy Logan and Rikki Fulton in extravagantly-produced shows with Ziegfeld-scale sets and dancing girls, but also made his first BBC television appearance in 1951. 'Anybody else would have gotten rid of me but she was devoted. No. Its a dead loss, to be honest. Stanley weighed up what this all meant. Recluse. Add new skills with these courses Word: Mail Merge in Depth Cert Prep: Word Associate - Microsoft Office Specialist for Office 2019 . My call was answered by Mr White himself, who seemed suspicious of my reasons for ringing. Her co-accused Helen Wright, 67, was also caught with drugs while police raided the . 'I didn't want to bring any child into the world who suffered what I suffered. Robertson Baxter. Changing tack, I asked if Baxter had a fan club. Other members included Kenneth Williams, with whom Baxter formed a close friendship that was troubled but life-long.It was quite a strong thing, said Young. She had thought about becoming an actress herself and was very supportive of her childrens aspirations for the stage: Baxter put aside thoughts of teaching to go into the theatre, while his sister went off to work as an actress in Australia, under the name of Alice Dale.Baxter had already begun broadcasting on the wireless at the age of 14, and continued doing so even after he was called up at 17 to help the war effort by going down the mines. 'I was in love with Bill,' Stanley says, 'but he certainly wasn't in love with me. The pair developed a closeness that meant when they weren't working they enjoyed a movie or dinner together. Filmed and edited Weekly Storytime's (ext.) Baxter staged full-scale MGM musicals and played every role. I called his office, who promised to ring back with a comment, but didnt. Stanley would indeed come to regret it for the rest of his life. OK. Goodbye. ng bi lc Thng Mt 19, 2023. I sloped away to look around some of them, then went for some Fishermans Bake and a pint at the local pub, feeling pretty miserable. I really dont. Once again, the gates around Baxter had been locked. Moira tried to take her own life on two occasions. I had never written anything longer than a thousand words for publication before, but Richard helped me through and opened the door to a career as a feature writer, for which I am extremely grateful. Download Admission Form; Fee Structure; Documents Required; Student Rules But it worried me: was it right to doorstep a man who had worked so hard all his life to keep the private roped off from the public? But she ignored the signs. With silk gloves up to his armpits and a tiara, he announced himself as the Duchess of Brendagh and delivered a Christmas message that talked of the Queen Mum as a priceless antique. Can you just tell me, finally, what city he lives in? By then, he had fallen in love for the first time. fermer et acceptez I was apprehensive about getting involved for all the obvious reasons. Choosing to eliminate the obvious first, I checked the phone book. He had to get on with it, focus on finishing the last 10 days of the panto season and his last 10 days at the Citz. He reckoned it would at least a few years before the couple arrived at Wedding Central. He took an immediate shine to Baxter. She would go off to our bedroom and let me take the one opposite.'. His family remained in Glasgow during the Blitz at first, a teenage Stanley and his mother sheltering under a dining table during the bombing. The charges were dropped, on condition that Baxter promised not to sue the police for wrongful arrest. Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. Calls went unreturned, faxes unanswered. A psychiatrist diagnosed schizophrenia, but she refused to take medication. What could he do? Robertson & Thompson was founded by Fife-born William Alexander Robertson as a wholesale whisky blender and agent in Glasgow in 1855. He found immense laughs as Formby and Liberace. That counts for a lot in this part of north London, where there are more antique shops than newsagents. This is it, I thought, suddenly breathless. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Williams believed Stanley to be taking advantage of Moira and a traitor to the cause. I turned to walk away. Who was this man, who inspired so much silence? He first asked me to write his biography more than 20 years ago, but was emphatic that he did not want it to appear while he was alive. Moira Robertson wrote: "There are so many people working hard to support the economic growth and development of Salford. moira robertson baxterjefferson parish jail mugshots January 19, 2023 . ', Beset with doubts, he confessed to Moira that all his previous affairs had been with men. IN MARCH 1952, 26-year-old Stanley Baxter, recognised as the brightest young star in the Citizens Theatre Company, made a decision that was to shock his parents, stun his close friend Kenneth Williams and even surprise himself. Login . She recovered in hospital and wrote to her husband, insisting, 'I'll never do something so foolish again.' There was no answer. And he reads the Independent. "Stanley Baxter and his wife Moira were secretly married in the drawing room of the bride's house in Dumbarton. Then youve got the orchestra, and dancers. The more I got to know of her I realised she was a lovely person, a woman of enormous heart.. Thinking about that took me back to my first major feature for the IOS, commissioned as an act of reckless faith by the editor Ian Jack and Richard Askwith, who ran the Review magazine and remains one of the finest copy editors I have ever come across. And although she was a good cook, she wasn't very good at washing. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. But he hadnt been in that afternoon. How would I know what he looked like? It was a relief. The Real Stanley Baxter. When he returned, he decided to seek medical treatment for his sexual urges. Doesnt he do interviews at all? Young was cagey, preferring to ring Baxter before he would talk to me. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. 'One wounded bird helping to look after another,' Stanley said. Bill had girlfriends, but he spent almost all his spare time at the Baxter house, sitting in Stanley's bedroom and talking till the small hours about art and philosophy, 'until we fell asleep, exhausted'. It was a golden period for British film-making, and he appeared in mildly successful black-and-white movies like the Highland comedy Geordie and Very Important Person, in which he starred alongside James Robertson Justice and Leslie Phillips. Grandmother Wright carried out the crime in order to help pay off her son's drug debt. Early on she used to say, That woman's following you around like a wee dug! And she was right. I never wanted to be gay. Then, in early autumn, I heard that Channel 4 was working on a compilation of the best of Baxters television shows, to be screened this Christmas. Any camper attached to a vehicle registered in Washington must be licensed in Washington; the RV Disposal Fee applies. With his telephone number and address in my notebook, I could have rung Stanley Baxter or paid him a visit months ago, instead of waiting for an answer to my letter. covid vaccine causing ovarian cyst. Not Stanleys fee, particularly, but you have to pay the Musicians Union, youve got to pay all the dancers, Equity and so on. I felt I had to be very careful not to allow anyone a glimpse of my predilection.. But of course I should have been stronger. .Baxter was born in Glasgow in 1928, and raised in the genteel suburb of Kelvinside. Those who didnt want to be troubled with it could simply take it at face value. Suddenly, she raced to the front window of their second storey flat, opened it and climbed out onto the window ledge, yelling, If I can't have you then I won't settle for anyone else! Everythings being raked around in here ready for Christmas. . . A Scottish national treasure. But there was no chance of a reconciliation. As a youth in 1940's Glasgow Stanley spent as much time as possible at the Grosvenor Cinema even skipping school. A year later, on March 5, 1952, the train sped west to Moiras parents home in Dumbarton for the ceremony. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. He told Kenneth Williams as much. In terms of countries? ', Until, inevitably, it did. Since our merger with Granada theres nobody higher up who would have been involved either. Stanley managed to survive the threat to his career just and Moira, as expected stood by her man. He felt guilty for the many affairs and the new partners. 'If you can sing, dance, play a musical instrument or whatever,' the announcement read, 'please apply'. Im not giving any interviews at the moment. An edge in his voice. Faye has joined us as receptionist and front of house expert on a maternity . Ive been in audiences where women in their sixties would sit there and say, with absolute envy: Ooh, look at them legs. Her favourite memory is of one entrance in full rig, with craggy face underneath what looked like a mound of candyfloss. The honeymoon night predictably was a disaster. Moira; Spouses . Just let me ask you one thing. Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to By Kathryn Ingate. And he met Moira Robertson, a 22-year-old who had worked her way up from the wardrobe department to the stage. They included women, from Shirley Bassey to, later, the Princess of Wales, each precisely observed. So: a legend. And by the time the then-teenager landed a place in the entertainment corps during his National Service years, Stanley was convinced that acting was his destiny. Possibly even liberation is distasteful, because it encourages people to come out and make features of themselves, whereas your social and sexual life should be, as Noel Coward had it, behind closed doors. So: Mr White hadnt been having me on Baxter did live in London, then. They would meet for lunch every day. Which is not good, when youre in your sixties, is it? Oh, they all varied, said the agent, suddenly sounding irritated. Gay men up and down the UK lived in constant fear of having their careers and lives wrecked. His biographer Brian Beacom examines why the brilliant Scots entertainer with a thousand faces refused to show his real one to the world. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. I wrote to Stanley Baxter at his home, requesting an interview. How? People who knew you knew the shorthand and the jargon. No other intimate had ever talked about him in public. She would turn up at the stage door in Glasgow, unannounced. In December 1965, Baxters wife Moira suggested that Williams and her husband should go on holiday together in Beirut. What about? ABBREVIATIONS; ANAGRAMS; . This would be NO life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily homosexual!, Moira's reaction was surprising, even to those who knew how liberal she was. 64, I said. Perhaps uniquely, Stanley Baxter has succeeded in making himself invisible. But she did mention several times there was something wrong with Moira, that her emotional balance wasn't quite right. That never happened: once television began to damage theatre audiences, many serious Scottish actors were forced into variety. Then one night she invited me for my favourite spaghetti up to her little rented flat at 65 Clouston Street and I was seduced back into bed again., The appetite sated, Stanley reckoned the only way to break off the relationship once and for all was to be entirely honest with Moira. What had happened to Stanley Baxter? View more posts, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), It was 20 years ago todayish. He loved the applause 'a hundred people shouting 'Bravo' and I'm beating the adults to the prizes'. Beaten with sticks.'. But Stanley couldnt contain his sexual frustrations. If I wanted a closer look at him it would have to be on my television on 4 January. And he said dismissively, 'Oh yes, I've had all my friends'.'. And that was that. And now he felt incredibly guilty because at the very end, he wasn't there to do what? Unknown to Stanley, Moira had ditched her medication and the demons raged again. When hes like this, one could die for him. His associates would not return my calls. A PAIR of drug dealing Glasgow grans who were caught with over 24,000 worth of cocaine have been jailed. "And that he was losing a friend." The front door was open. Afterwards, I gasped, 'Have you done this before?' 'I liked her,' Baxter says. Yes. Just to talk to a faithful hand that takes all the chaff and grain together, keeps whats worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blows the rest away. And they were birched! But fame made his clandestine life even more risky. But it would be wrong to imagine he has found peace. Baxter recalls how he would be allowed by his wife to bring men home, at a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain. Yes, was the terse reply. There, he saw a notice appealing for performers to join the Combined Services Entertainment unit [CSE]. He saw Moira frequently, but the fractured marriage was always difficult. 'I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.'. Moira Robertson Managing Director Moira has been involved in the media, data and conferences sector for over 20 years, managing teams of sales professionals and directly providing sales solutions herself. Home; Uncategorized; moira robertson baxter; Posted on January 19, 2023; By . Also known as. As he grew up, she was intensely jealous and would shoo away any girls who admired him: 'She started telling me about these two boys who once took a wee girl into a haunted house up the road and did terrible things to her. Can I call you tomorrow, then, to see if youve changed your mind? He probably knew the way I felt about him. PMC New Covid hospital admissions are now at the fourth-highest rate of the pandemic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Biggest Wilson Combat Dealer, What Happened To Colonel Blades, Articles M