Ruby on TV

[Brian Henson]

There was a surprise appearance by Ruby on BBC4 TV yesterday evening during a 30 minute compilation of clips from the series of short cinema films about life in Britain produced by documentary film maker, Harold Baim. Although it only skimmed the surface of this wonderful film archive, we were able to take brief excursions in full colour to many of Britain's great cities (Aberdeen, Nottingham, Birmingham, Portsmouth, York, London) and coast resorts (Margate, Torquay, Yarmouth, Weston Super Mare), and along the way catch glimpses of several stars of the 1950s and 1960s - Dickie Valentine, Petula Clark, Benny Hill, Tommy Cooper, Ruby Murray. These celebrity appearances were all captured while the relevent stars were appearing in summer seasons at one or other of our seaside resorts. The clip featuring Ruby, is well known to us as it was used some years ago on a series titled 'The Way We Were', and was shot during the late-1950s in Yarmouth. Tommy Cooper is seen wearing roller skates, and struggling to stay on his feet, while Ruby is trying hard to steady him. All done for laughs of course.

I hope some more of you were watching BBC4 between 8.30 & 9.00 - but if not, it’s fortunately available for viewing on the BBC i-player: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... n_on_Film/

Enjoy!

Brian

[Bernie Burgess]

Thanks for that information Brian,

Unfortunately I am unable to view it in my area. I am familiar with the clip, it was during the summer season of 1958 at the Wellington Pier. There was one of the best publicity displays that I have seen on the facia of the pier with face only shots of Ruby and Tommy hugely enlarged. I have very vivid memories of that pier show and the theatre at the end of the pier. The Jones Boys's dressing room was above Tommy's and we had to pass right through his dressing room to get to ours. It was a highly successful show with capacity audiences.

One memory concerns a very stormy night when torrential rain fell and the ceiling of the auditorium leaked. There was a raised middle section running full length of the auditorium from front to rear and the channels either side couldn't handle the amount of water. The sections of the audience were getting very wet and some had umbellas which they used much to the amusement of everyone.

When, if ever, will we return to such happy days,

Adios Amigos. Bernie

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Probably never sadly, Bernie