He returned to the BBC but, after a one-off in 1986 in which he played 37 roles (including Mae West, whom he first impersonated aged six), that contract also ended. She would turn up at the stage door in Glasgow, unannounced. Hes always quite pernickety about who hell speak to, which is why I dont want to say too much about him at the moment. So: a legend. But what the Daily Express didnt know was that when Stanley arrived home, with the sound of Saturday evening theatre applause still ringing in his ears, he broke down in tears. But Andy Young, who considers himself a close friend of the couple, insisted that they still lived together. Can you tell me where they are? 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. Recluse. His pantos became legendary. Too short-sighted for active Army service, he was afraid of being assigned to the merchant navy and the Atlantic convoys, but instead he was ordered to report to the coal pits, as a 'Bevin Boy' one of the conscripted mine workers. They moved to London and Moira gave up the theatre, to be a housewife. But he hadnt been in that afternoon. London. 28th February 2023 0. I was just ringing for you. Moiras death left Stanley bereft. It was more than weakness. Ovarian cysts in Pfizer BioNTech COVID Vaccine, Ovarian cysts in Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine, Abortion spontaneous . She kept calling for him and my mother wasnt too happy about this. And so, a few weeks later, I did the right journalistic thing and rang Mentorn and Channel 4. Offer price valid until 06/11/2020. . inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Tayside & Stirling. . Her co-accused Helen Wright, 67, was also caught with drugs while police raided the . A native of Fountain Inn, son of the late James Chesley and I thought, I really hate this. He later recalled trying to use his scripts to hide hands encrusted with coal dust, an early indication of the self- consciousness that was to become as ingrained as the coal.Invalided out of the mines with an ear problem, Baxter joined the left- wing Unity Theatre in Glasgow. Tragically, however, in 1997, the year Princess Diana died, Moira took her own life. ' Friends suddenly shunned him, fearful of guilt by association. So he decided that rather than cut his cloth down because hes not a stand-up Channel 4 comedian, is he? He left for a theatre tour of Australia in a Brian Rix farce, leaving his wife behind. Stanley would indeed come to regret it for the rest of his life. The STANDS4 Network. He told Moira the relationship was over. 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. In a television era rich with comic talent, from Morecambe and Wise to Tommy Cooper, Dick Emery to Mike Yarwood, everyone agreed Stanley Baxter was king. . In 1997, he decided to spend a month at the villa they owned in Cyprus. The lavish, multi-layered dresses worn by classic pantomime dames are built on a bodysuit of gripping Lycra whose fierce constriction can leave the body raw and bruised by the end of each performance. . She danced too in the gardens in Highgate Village, naked. Home. We are lucky at The Herald. She was only using the gate to rest. They would meet for lunch every day. Alpha Events. We became close, without it ever being more than friendship.'. for virtual children's programming. 'He just liked the look of me, I guess,' Baxter says, 'which wasn't always the way with Kenny and people. 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. She looked up at me, shrugged and said Oh, I don't care about that at all. But a fellow member of the club in Pall Mall, which costs up to 500 a year, confirmed that Baxter was frequently there. Login . He never replied. Back home again, Baxter joined the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, a fine company with aspirations to form a Scottish national theatre. Just to be with. I called his office, who promised to ring back with a comment, but didnt. Fellow Scottish comic legend Rikki Fulton, who has presented his own hugely popular Hogmanay TV show for the last 16 years, said that Baxter retired from playing dames because the energy and athleticism required was exhausting. She may have worshipped Stanley but she never got herself worked up if her husbands white shirts were dry in the morning or not. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Her reaction was dramatic. Perhaps uniquely, Stanley Baxter has succeeded in making himself invisible. Moira Robertson & Stanley Baxter, 1962 British actress Moira Robertson (year of birth unknown-1997) and her husband, British comedian and actor Stanley Baxter, at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in London, England, 5th March 1962. Comic actor Stanley Baxter dressed as a Roman soldier during a comedy sketch, circa 1980. Young was cagey, preferring to ring Baxter before he would talk to me. I rang David White again the following morning. When co-founder Robert Thompson left to open his own business in 1860 John Baxter - a clerk within the company - became partner. Men just look nelly, however hard they try. And he had been sighted on a visit to Scotland in July 1994, to unveil a tribute to his late friend and fellow comic Duncan Macrae, during which he had confirmed that it had been his intention to drop out of public life completely: Most comics work till they drop, but Im happier now than ever. A psychiatrist diagnosed schizophrenia, but she refused to take medication. Used Buffer and WordPress to advertise programming. And Stanley noticed her little eccentricities, her remoteness, her rejection of life's boring rituals of cleaning, cooking, washing laundry, had become more pronounced. Just when it was looking hopeless, I discovered a quote from Don Black, the lyricist of Sunset Boulevard, about keeping himself fit at the RAC Club: I take a Turkish bath at the club every Saturday. Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web! At one point during my researches I was intrigued to meet a person in north London who had lived near the Baxters for a while in recent years, and who believed that they now lived apart, but that Stanley visited his wifes new home for lunch most days. At one point during my researches I was intrigued to meet a person in north London who had lived near the Baxters for a while in recent years, and who believed that they now lived apart, but that Stanley visited his wife's new home for lunch most . His associates would not return my calls. His relationship with Marcus deepened and continued until the younger man died of lung cancer four years ago, though the two never lived together. Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. 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. Stanley Baxter was a star on the Glasgow talent circuit aged six, in 1932. He is an absolute control freak, said the critic Mary Brennan. marty odlin, running tide; jay mcgwire wife Menu Toggle. But she ignored the signs. 'I thought, 'My career will never survive this. And she was very good about letting them go to bed with me. To order a copy for 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. It was becoming obvious that the real Stanley Baxter was as studiously hidden as his Lycra supports. In 1959, Stanley realised the writing was on the wall for variety theatre in Scotland and moved to London. Fixated,' he says. And so, Robertson & Baxter was formed. HP10 9TY. I felt I had to be very careful not to allow anyone a glimpse of my predilection.. Absolutely not? Its just prohibitive, you know, because they were such big specials. Well, you, really. As I approached the flats, a figure bundled up in odd layers of clothing and a heavy overcoat came towards me, and turned towards the gate. . No, for the reason I just gave. And the new rules dont apply just to celebrities on the A-List: newsreaders and weather girls must also be prepared to have the minutiae of their lives subjected to close scrutiny, or at the very least have Loyd Grossman look through their keyholes. From beyond the grave, Williams talked about him more frankly and perhaps imaginatively than any living friend would. moira robertson baxter. , updated When he stopped doing TV spectaculars, we were told that everybody had an eye on the clock because the clock meant money. I didn't want to know, but gradually I was falling in love.'. When he called her from the airport, on his return to the UK several weeks later, she didn't answer. In terms of countries? Carrying a plastic shopping bag. And wasnt marriage about compromise? He took her passport, to prevent her from trying to follow him. Anyone trying to hide will be photographed from a distance or forced on to daytime television. Other cuttings described him as practically a recluse. In January 1962, he visited the public toilets in Madras Place, Holloway, hoping to pick up a man for casual sex. 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. 'I was going to top myself,' he says. Moira Robertson, 65, was snared with 51,000 of cash in bin bags and 24,000 of cocaine at her home on June 20, 2019. 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. She was in love with him and Baxter believed he was falling in love with her. He kept phoning all the time, telling me there was something special between us. 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. ', Beset with doubts, he confessed to Moira that all his previous affairs had been with men. As spring approached, Stanley saw even more of the woman with the hooded eyes, even taking her along to his parents home at 5 Wilton Mansions in Glasgow's Kelvinside. Moira didn't ever leap anywhere, he says softly. He took an immediate shine to Baxter. At the same time, Moira's mental health deteriorated. He had his chance to make a clean break, to move on alone. OK. Goodbye. When hes like this, one could die for him. And your editor. How much had the big television specials cost to make? He is an intelligent guy, and he likes to know who hes talking to. 'I liked her,' Baxter says. 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. I dont see Stanley ever leaving himself that vulnerable hes too self- obsessed a cookie), not about Baxter the human being. The Real Stanley Baxter, by Brian Beacom. Finally, I realised that I would have to let Stanley Baxter rest in peace. A loved one. He had indeed dreamed of being a professional actor since appearing on stage as a seven-year-old at local talent contests. But although the urgency had gone, the curiosity remained. I don't think you know what you're talking about and I don't think you realise that the future will be bleak for you and difficult for me., Stanley was adamant. 'One wounded bird helping to look after another,' Stanley said. He felt guilty for the many affairs and the new partners. 2. but a Yorkshire accent. Everythings being raked around in here ready for Christmas. And why shouldn't he? 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! 'I turned down too many parts . Bringing businesses together in the emerging, disruptive technology space across; FinTech, Quantum Technologies and Quantitative Trading Technologies through face to face and virtual meetings and events. After all, the pair had spent endless hours discussing sexuality, preferences and honesty. Find him.. Its Christmas, he said. Treating spinal conditions affecting teenagers and adults led Moira into the field of Scoliosis where she helps . A stage smile. Download Admission Form; Fee Structure; Documents Required; Student Rules The Real Stanley Baxter. Hanover, Ontario, Canada. He moved to London eight years later. After switching to ITV with the promise of a colossal budget for The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, he met a 28-year-old German accountant named Marcus. Unknown to Stanley, Moira had ditched her medication and the demons raged again. Those who didnt want to be troubled with it could simply take it at face value. No. This was the defining moment of Stanleys life. London, England, United Kingdom. Course Outlines; Job Offers; ruth sheen chin Menu Toggle. Smiling at me. But she did mention several times there was something wrong with Moira, that her emotional balance wasn't quite right. Moira chased Stanley, says Stanleys sister, Alice. What it did entail was years of loneliness, beginning on their honeymoon night. I told him of how she was slipping into little overdoses, and I would be going round to see her and reviving her. Add new skills with these courses Word: Mail Merge in Depth Cert Prep: Word Associate - Microsoft Office Specialist for Office 2019 . I began to be scared someone else would do better than me on stage, and my mother would clatter me.'. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. Scottish perspective on news, sport, business, lifestyle, food and drink and more, from Scotland's national newspaper, The Scotsman. One of them might be him, I thought. 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. 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. Wait and see, was the answer. A lot of people are interested in this. 'I didn't want to bring any child into the world who suffered what I suffered. Afterwards, I gasped, 'Have you done this before?' But not a complete no: perhaps, hed said, perhaps yours will be the one. I guess I had come to really like Moira. bclc lotto app not working; signs your internship will turn into a job; mary suehr schmitz. It was all very selfish of me and a bit macho. Ill let you know through my agent, OK? 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. She punched me and my glasses flew off. I shouldn't have done, but I did. She was far more bohemian than me.' . Since then, he has been completely absent from stage or television, and rarely even mentioned in print. Stanley Baxter. Free UK delivery on orders over 15. Did Bessie Baxter have any idea of Stanleys true sexuality? Why? 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. Jul 1988 - Present34 years 4 months. 'I was in love with Bill,' Stanley says, 'but he certainly wasn't in love with me. If she did, she never let on. After the war in Europe was over, in June 1945, a 19-year-old Baxter was told to report to the Seaforth Highlanders regiment. 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. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. I had felt the relationship simply had to stop, so I broke it off. Whatever changes come into society, they have already learnt discretion. There was an S Baxter in that area, with an address. Dressed in a sailor suit, his hair tonged in waves, he did impersonations of Laurel and Hardy, and Mae West. No, you might publish it. There were things he might like to say, but it wouldnt be in keeping to do so. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . The charges were dropped, on condition that Baxter promised not to sue the police for wrongful arrest. But of course I should have been stronger. 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. Later, they decamped to an island outside the city. 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!' Therapy proved useless: his psychiatrist, learning that he was married, advised him simply to return to his wife. But where? Well, it was worth a go. His heart raced as he rushed towards her and pulled her back. "Kenny thought I was making a terrible mistake," says Stanley. February 27, 2023 . Anybody who has acquired that kind of carapace is not going to come on like John Inman, rushing out of a closet, shouting, Im free! They have prided themselves on conducting their life with dignity.. Very boring!' Especially when youre in high heels, do you know what I mean? You mustn't let that worry you. but not to publish it. His wife Moira, from whom he was separated, was tormented by mental illness and had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists in the bath.