1965

April

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Ladies In Retirement

A Play in Three Acts by Edward Percy and Reginald Denham

Produced by Leslie Hulf

Picture from the Fairlight WI Scrapbook 
        
 
 
 - used with    permission

Picture from the Fairlight WI Scrapbook 
            
 
 
 - used with     permission

The scene is laid in the living room of an old house on the marshes of the
Thames estuary, some ten miles to the east of Gravesend.
The year is 1885.

Cast
Lucy Gilham Nicky Frith
Leonora Fiske Mary Davies
Ellen Creed Lydia Perry
Albert Feather Aubrey Sinden
Louisa Greed Joan French
Emily Creed Wyn Miller
Sister Theresa Millicent Smith
   

The start of an era

1965 was a very special year for the Players as, in Ladies In Retirement, it marked the debut of Aubrey Sinden who, some 45 years later, is still a very active member and our current Chairman. The "ease and conviction" mentioned in the newspaper article (below) will be of no surprise to those of us who have worked with Aubrey, and many ladies will doubtless recognise that effortless charm which the top picture conveys so well.

Also making her debut is Joan French, another person who would subsequently make a significant contribution to the life of the Fairlight Players. That these two debut performances coincide is no coincidence (technically it is, since a coincidence is when two things coincide ... but you know what I mean). Aubrey roped Joan (his cousin) in to remedy a shortage of ladies in the cast, and to play the part of his "dotty" aunt.

I am grateful to the former members of the Fairlight WI (now disbanded) for allowing me to copy the above images from their quite delightful scrapbook. Just a thought - is it me, or does Wyn Miller look remarkably like Hilda Ogden in the picture above?