'There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality,' he says. Anyone would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life.' Who was this man, who inspired so much silence? Moira Robertson could be forced to hand over 45,000 after being jailed . In that moment, I thought the world had changed. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. ', Beset with doubts, he confessed to Moira that all his previous affairs had been with men. Its just prohibitive, you know, because they were such big specials. Afterwards, I gasped, 'Have you done this before?' He never replied. / moira robertson baxter. Stanley Baxter is one of my all-time favourites, he said. Kenneth Williams was among the first to be told and he couldnt believe his ears. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think. Pull out the pin, and its every man for himself. Rushing to the window of their second storey flat, she climbed out onto the ledge and shouted, 'If I can't have you then I won't settle for anyone else. Wearing a calf-length tweed coat with a smart scarf folded across the throat. She then went to their new Glasgow flat to cook spaghetti for his supper.". Mary Brennan sees nothing surprising about Baxter being so jealous of his privacy. Oh yes? Still smiling. They went on a trip to Amsterdam together in 1964, although Williams who described their sitting in clubs with a load of poofs returned to Britain early. The Citz was a heterosexual theatre company. Login . Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. It was time, I decided, to find him myself, face-to-face, in the hope that he might talk. Stanley Baxter. The dark, often highly dramatic script of their life together began when he joined the Citz in 1948, shortly after being demobbed. Moira; Spouses . Hanover Public Library. There was, it seemed, no prospect of an interview. The critics loved it. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. What about? He kept phoning all the time, telling me there was something special between us. 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. But not a complete no: perhaps, hed said, perhaps yours will be the one. Millions were scandalised and breathless with laughter. '. It wasnt like theatres of today, which are heavily populated with gay people. . 21:19 EST 30 Oct 2020 I have been writing for the Independent on Sunday for more than 20 years, but the edition that appears on Sunday will be the last. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Treating spinal conditions affecting teenagers and adults led Moira into the field of Scoliosis where she helps . How could it happen? He was the lead in one play before going off to serve with the Royal Army Service Corps in the Far East, where he was recruited for the Combined Services Entertainment unit, a drag- and-greasepaint outfit straight out of It Aint Half Hot Mum. Award-winning interviewer, writer and broadcaster. Everythings being raked around in here ready for Christmas. She recovered in hospital and wrote to her husband, insisting, 'I'll never do something so foolish again.' 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. Once again, the gates around Baxter had been locked. So: Mr White hadnt been having me on Baxter did live in London, then. Williams believed Stanley to be taking advantage of Moira and a traitor to the cause. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles. Moira tried to take her own life on two occasions. 'I got into this business to be loved. (Later in my quest, I rang the clubs charming PR woman. by | Jan 25, 2023 | when do pecan trees lose their leaves | congestion worse after sinus rinse | Jan 25, 2023 | when do pecan trees lose their leaves | congestion worse after sinus rinse Alpha Events. 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. I dont see Stanley ever leaving himself that vulnerable hes too self- obsessed a cookie), not about Baxter the human being. Robertson & Thompson was founded by Fife-born William Alexander Robertson as a wholesale whisky blender and agent in Glasgow in 1855. 'I couldn't put up with very long periods of not being with men,' he says frankly. Fine, but not much help to me. The Real Stanley Baxter by Brian Beacom is published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. Something was happening between us but I didn't wish to acknowledge the fact. 'I'm too afraid of what people will think of me,' he said. This is it, I thought, suddenly breathless. A porter at the club confirmed that the comedian did swim in the pool most days. His divas and dames were so good they were beyond description. Yes I did, and I spoke to you through my agent. Just a decade ago, his annual television spectaculars were as much a part of Christmas as turkey and hangovers: in December 1985, more than 14 million people tuned in to watch the monkey-faced Scotsman mimic the Queen, in a lavish show that included a full-scale orchestra and battalions of dancers. . Stanley walked through the doors of the Gorbals theatre and into theatre heaven, loving this avant-garde world populated by the likes of Sybil Thorndyke and Duncan Macrae. . 'It was then she physically attacked me. 'He just liked the look of me, I guess,' Baxter says, 'which wasn't always the way with Kenny and people. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Stanley asked the same question of himself but pushed the answer aside. I sat on the edge of the bed and sobbed my heart out, he admits. 'It was real weakness on my part,' he says now. 'I thought, 'My career will never survive this. The last panto was in 1991, wasnt it? If it doesn't work out, you just get divorced and you move on. And my father replied with a very heavy voice, No, it's not as easy as that., The following Monday, the Scottish Daily Express wrote of the 'quiet' wedding. As always this "diary" will be. He was working out in a gym and swimming several lengths of the RAC pool every day. The STANDS4 Network. Recluse. Private passions are what we care about most, skeletons in the cupboard; but even knowing the colour of the upholstery will do. But a fellow member of the club in Pall Mall, which costs up to 500 a year, confirmed that Baxter was frequently there. Baxter was a great talker among his close-knit circle of friends, said Mr Young, but was also wary of outsiders. Anxious, he took a taxi to the house. Stanley would indeed come to regret it for the rest of his life. His wife Moira, from whom he was separated, was tormented by mental illness and had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists in the bath. I wrote you a letter. Faye has joined us as receptionist and front of house expert on a maternity . In 1959, Stanley realised the writing was on the wall for variety theatre in Scotland and moved to London. bclc lotto app not working; signs your internship will turn into a job; mary suehr schmitz. In London, Stanley found immediate success with TV satire On The Bright Side. Marcus was a constant support. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows The Stanley Baxter Show, The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, The Stanley Baxter Series and Mr Majeika.. Baxter has also written a number of books based on Glasgow. A psychiatrist diagnosed schizophrenia, but she refused to take medication. Can I call you tomorrow, then, to see if youve changed your mind? We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. There was no biography, and no memoir; just a few intriguing references to be found in the published diaries of his close friend Kenneth Williams. Published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. Having made it big south of the border, he regularly returned to direct and star in big-budget productions. Moira didn't ever leap anywhere, he says softly. Stanley Baxter was a star on the Glasgow talent circuit aged six, in 1932. He found immense laughs as Formby and Liberace. His last was Mother Goose, at the Kings Theatre, Glasgow, in 1991. He had his chance to make a clean break, to move on alone. Their relationship was fraught with difficulty Williams called it a very shaky ship but it was underpinned by deep affection. Yet he was, and is, missed: in England, as the funniest man on television; in Scotland where they take panto very seriously as the greatest dame of the century: a master of the double entendre and the quick, stunning costume-change. X En poursuivant votre navigation sur ce site, vous acceptez l'utilisation de Cookies pour vous proposer des publicits cibles adapts vos centres d'intrts et raliser des statistiques de visites. Im a character actor. And then he met Moira, this soft-spoken chic young woman with the Bette Davis eyes. It had been run over in the street. She wanted to come, too. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. moira robertson baxterjefferson parish jail mugshots January 19, 2023 . I called his office, who promised to ring back with a comment, but didnt. Still smiling, though. Since then, he has been completely absent from stage or television, and rarely even mentioned in print. He took her passport, to prevent her from trying to follow him. STANLEY BAXTER has come out as gay at the age of 94 in a brave statement in his new biography, The Real Stanley Baxter, as the veteran actor admitted he brought men home with his "understanding" wife's blessing. but hes never done one. Yet there is one celebrity who has bucked the trend. Rather than resolve the issue, I let it slip. And, meanwhile, my deadline had passed, and there were other things to do. In 1997, he decided to spend a month at the villa they owned in Cyprus. moira robertson baxter. Posted on 24 februari 2023 by. ', Stanley was terrified. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. moira robertson baxter. Very boring!' Baxter resolved to repress his sexuality when he returned to Glasgow two years later to live, as he put it, 'as a straight actor'. fermer et acceptez It truly means nothing if our council is having to make decisions which . Having worked in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore and London and across numerous sections, including finance, procurement, defence and e-commerce . There are folk who could tell you what kind of Christmas it was by recalling that years panto. One more try. No. Just a couple of years later he landed a five-picture deal with Rank Films. Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Moiras role, however, was reduced from Actress to Wife. And he said dismissively, 'Oh yes, I've had all my friends'.'. He never appeared as himself. We are lucky at The Herald. . So he must have felt a shiver when the waspish diaries of his late friend Kenneth Williams were published two years ago. His relationship with Marcus deepened and continued until the younger man died of lung cancer four years ago, though the two never lived together. Helen Wright, 67, and Moira Robertson, 65, were also snared with 51,000 in cash at a . Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. After 11 months of waiting, I was becoming frustrated. He lived in dread of being exposed in the press as a gay man. He's willing to let the world decide for itself. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. So I asked if he was aware that there had been a piece in the Sun over the summer, calling for Baxter to come back to television. Say sorry? 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. Moira Robertson Doctor at CHUV Lausanne. But fame made his clandestine life even more risky. moira robertson baxter. Tayside & Stirling. That would seem to indicate that there might be a return at some point, even just a one-off? Thats a difficult question. A Scottish national treasure. The Robertson family also founded Highland Distillers in 1887 and, ultimately, in 1999 . 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!' The more I got to know of her I realised she was a lovely person, a woman of enormous heart.. 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. Developed and created Craft kits for children and teens. That counts for a lot in this part of north London, where there are more antique shops than newsagents. OK. 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. They became lovers. Especially when youre in high heels, do you know what I mean? WHEN DOES curiosity become intrusion? He moved to London eight years later. . He said, Oh well, if you did I should just follow you. He soon gave up any pretence of being faithful, or heterosexual. He has a talismanic quality that makes people feel hes very much in touch with their lives, and then suddenly, out he zooshes looking really rather sexy. Im not being naughty, but no. Stanley weighed up what this all meant. For a nation still mourning the loss of Eric Morecambe, Baxter another survivor of the gentler, pre-television days of variety theatre seemed ready to succeed to the title of Britains Favourite Comedian. But it was a whole new experience. He met Moira daily for lunch. They all wanted him: Aspel, Parkinson. By There was also a tiny quote from Baxter in the Times of November 1992, about how the role of Principal Boy should only be played by a woman: All those frills. Ill let you know through my agent, OK? His sketch shows were months in the making and the talk of the nation spectacular, controversial, unlike anything ever seen. Robertson Baxter. almost as often as a chambermaid turns down bed sheets.'. Well, it was worth a go. Chic, with hooded eyes, Moira could have been Bette Davis's younger sister. Therapy proved useless: his psychiatrist, learning that he was married, advised him simply to return to his wife. Nobody would tell me. He loved the applause 'a hundred people shouting 'Bravo' and I'm beating the adults to the prizes'. And, yes, the address I had was the correct one. "And that he was losing a friend." contact the editor here. 'I liked her,' Baxter says. London. Yes. Instead, he was arrested. Surely his peers would wish to pay homage? His father was a branch manager of Commercial Union while his mother would have liked to have been an actress, When the family agreed that acting was respectable his mother took him round halls where he gave renderings of Harry Lauder and . Me, said David White. Hanover, Ontario, Canada. A stage smile. He says now that he'd known for years that he found men more attractive than women, because at the Saturday morning cinema club he could not take his eyes off the half-naked Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, rather than Maureen O'Sullivan's Jane. LWTs press officer had never even heard of him, but promised to investigate. Stellenbosch Chiropractic founder, Moira Robertson, has been living and working as a Chiropractor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2003 - 2015. Dressed in a sailor suit, his hair tonged in waves, he did impersonations of Laurel and Hardy, and Mae West. No. A life without stress you cannae whack it! Writer and broadcaster, Interviewer of the Year for the Mail, winner of Radio Academy gold with BBC Radio 4. He was also aware of the need to have a cover. Yes, was the terse reply. At the same time, Moira's mental health deteriorated. Again. I told her my preference and said, Thats why I am breaking off the relationship. 64, I said. And what does the master of disguise look like now? You can tell Ive talked to the press before, cant you? And he turned it down. 'She probably felt if she praised me I'd try less hard. What would the neighbours think? why is today capitalized in hebrews 3:13; Tags . A Gannett Company. Baxter's wife Moira was troubled by mental illness. His agent advised him to engage the celebrity barrister David Jacobs, who had recently won a libel case for Liberace when a newspaper implied the flamboyant entertainer was gay. Today aged 94, he lives as he has for 25 years a virtual recluse at his flat in Highgate Village, North London. 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. They included women, from Shirley Bassey to, later, the Princess of Wales, each precisely observed. FOR MANY of the details I subsequently learnt about Stanley Baxters life, I was grateful to Andy Young, a Scottish freelance writer who gained the comedians confidence about 100 years ago and is one of the few people to have interviewed him at any length. It was a relief. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. No. I really dont. "Kenny thought I was making a terrible mistake," says Stanley. I felt vulnerable. 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. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can But unknown to the world, Granny and the eponymous hero had decided to marry. Its hard to know if the invigorating sea air or simply timing resulted in Moiras declaration, but she announced she wished to have a full-blown sexual relationship with her leading man. 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. I think it was probably fashionable at the time to get married even if there were undercurrents of other things that people didnt realise about, said Mr Young. 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. Facebook gives people the power. There's no doubt about that. One last piece for the Independent on Sunday, The Invisible Man: Searching for the Reclusive Stanley Baxter. What could he do? He took his time. When he returned, he decided to seek medical treatment for his sexual urges. Alec Guinness and John Gielgud had both been charged with Importuning. He suggested I contact Mentorn Films, who were recording new links for the show. As a last shot I rang David White, who said I had been very naughty. ', This year, he changed his mind. Not Stanleys fee, particularly, but you have to pay the Musicians Union, youve got to pay all the dancers, Equity and so on. Yes, as a 14-year-old hed had a frolic with the maid (despite living in a West End tenement Bessie Baxter insisted upon live-in help) but this was an entirely new adventure. Stanley was bringing the values of a different time and place into a world that had changed. 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. 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. 'She told me she was hearing voices,' Baxter says. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Fred Baxter, knowing his son was unconvincing in the role of Happy Groom, attempted a last-minute derailment. Of all those stories, it is hard to imagine anything more sad than this one. Not him, then.
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