|
 | |  | |
This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on November 10th 1994.
This annual screening of the Royal Command Performance jogged the memory of Worthing reader Ron Colbourne, who recalls that some 45 years ago a number of young men from Worthing appeared on the show.
It was 1949, a year the show was held at The Coliseum instead of the usual London Palladium venue '... because King George VI was not fit enough to climb the steps to the Royal Box,' according to Ron, just 15 years of age at the time.
How the Worthing teenagers came to be invited on to the show will become apparent after I mention a daring deed that took place earlier that year thousands of miles away in the Far East, when, after three months caught in the crossfire of civil war, the frigate HMS Amethyst made a dramatic dash to freedom.
The Amethyst, peacefully patrolling the Yangtze River in China while looking after British interests in the area was pinned down by gunfire and suffered heavy casualties --- eight killed and 30 wounded. She escaped the Communists in the dead of night with all lights extinguished; an heroic act in waters difficult to navigate even in daylight.
'The suddenness and savagery of the Communist attack on the Amethyst,' reported the Daily Telegraph, 'came as a shock to the whole of the civilised world,' and messages by the thousand streamed in from around the globe.
As a tribute to the brave crew of the Amethyst a patriotic display was put on at the Royal Command Performance that year. It was decided that the Nautical Training Corps should be involved, and Worthing (T.S. Vanguard) was chosen not only for the large number of cadets in the unit but also for its particularly high standard.
So the Worthing Sea Cadets appeared in 'A Salute to the Amethyst', just a brief appearance, marching down the steps by the band of the Royal Marines, onto the stage and marching off again. Yet although no more than a momentary presence was required, the cadets had to go up to London twice, travelling in two hired coaches: firstly on the Sunday for rehearsals, then back home in the evening, only to go up to London again the next morning in readiness for the real thing that evening.
Worthing (T.S.Vanguard) had been chosen for two reasons: the large number of cadets in the unit; and their particularly high standard.
Also from Worthing, dancer Larry Drew appeared with the company of 'Brigadoon'. Larry used to be in the 'Gay Parade', a summer show that ran at Worthing's Pier Pavilion for some years, in the days when gay meant being happy and light-hearted.
Famous stars making guest appearances included Wilfred Pickles, Maurice Chevalier, Ted Ray in an item entitled 'Fiddling and Fooling', Noele Gordon, and a bearded and tousle-haired young Michael Bentine in the 'Happy Imbecile'.
One of the beautifully coloured advertisements in the programme featured Test Cricketer Denis Compton brushing flat his sleek dark Brylcreemed hair. Of the 25 ladies selling programmes on the night, one name stood out, that of Miss Vera Lynn who lives in Sussex, while impresario Bernard Delfont, another name of repute in the locality, played a part in organising the show.
This article was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on November 10th 1994.
| |  | |  |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
