~ Old Fred ~

Old Fred was the next door neighbour no longer able to care for himself he moved in with the Stansfield's for a week while waiting to live with a sister or brother, he became a permanent lodger firmly persuaded by Gracie's mother. He was very fond of young Grace and she was of him there is a deep attachment between youth and old age and he was just as keen as Jenny to put Grace on the stage. She loved to entertain him singing dancing and imitating the music hall stars George Formby senior Victoria Monks, Gertie Gitans and Maidie Scott, to old Fred it meant a lot.

~ Wonderment ~

When young Jenny he got to know Fred Stansfield declared he was not an ordinary fellow this proved to be so. He fathered three talented daughters and a son who went on the stage one by one. Fred was able to take an early retirement and enjoy a carefree life through the insight of his ambitious wife. She kept her eye on the future every step of the way for Jenny's perseverance he learned to bless each day.

~ A Mother in a Million ~

Jenny was the essence of capability and tremendous driving force hard work and poverty she had certainly known but Jenny was tough with a mind of her own. There were the bad times clouding the skies of blue and many good times too. Her four children were brought up on clouts push and never give in the only way they could hope to win. Without her who's to say Gracie and her sisters and brother might not have been working in the mill for a twelve hour day. Dear readers I trust this book will yield the true grit and stamina of Jenny Stansfield.

~ Lucky Escape ~

Gracie hated dressing-up in what she called the sophisticated look, remembering when as a young child in Rochdale she fell in the brook. Wearing her new pale blue dress Polly Pickles had made it was a memory that would never fade. She dragged her footsteps slowly home expecting a good clout, fortunately her mother did not see her it happened to be the day Tommy was born so from a punishment she opted out.

~ A Just Reward ~

Jenny kept cool calm and collected no matter how many problems she had to face, Old Fred had caught a severe chill and admitted to hospital in his delirium he called every nurse "Our Grace." A few days later he died among his belongings was an envelope addressed to Jenny his will tucked inside he left her his insurance money one hundred pounds in his shaky illiterate scrawl he had written, "Tha nos best how to spend it" she did indeed. After family debts were paid she took Grace to Manchester daily for tap dancing lessons which in show business she would certainly need.  

~ The Imp of Mischief ~

At sixteen Gracie entertained a group of elderly ladies with a sweet refrain, one member was deaf to catch the words seemed in vain. She crept nearer and nearer clutching her ear trumpet until Gracie could feel her breath on her cheek, the imp of mischief danced in her eyes so a little fun she did seek. She blew down the trumpet with all her might the old dear nearly hit the ceiling , "Ee by gum" said Gracie, "She heard that all right."

~ The Early Years ~

Gracie left school at the age of twelve, joined the "Nine Dainty Dots" for a while and booked for a week here and there, but no regular work anywhere. When the singer Jessie Merrileas was taken ill and unable to appear at the Hippodrome the management were desperate to find a substitute performer. Jenny knew who that would be, Grace wore a star spangled dress Polly Pickles made hastily. "Stars" said Jenny, "like you will be one day", another chance from heaven had come her way. Grace was paid thirty-five shillings for the week and booked for the following one, she thought her career had really begun. Work was sparse, she filled in with errand girl jobs and suggested going back to the mill. Jenny did not agree, if any stage work came along she had to be free. Grace stayed home caring for her sisters Betty and Edie, three year old Tommy, Father and the lodger Old Fred, Jenny went back to the mill instead.

~ Homeward Bound ~

Gracie was paid four shillings a week when she joined Charburn's Young Stars, later increased to eight. She had longed wished for a theatrical travelling basket for her clothes, she saved hard her wish came true. It had four small wheels and her initials in bold black letters too. Gracie was proud of her new name, especially when she met the great George Formby senior and discovered his basket and initials were exactly the same. Gracie arrived back in Rochdale feeling very pleased with herself and her theatrical basket. She pushed it all the way home from the station hoping everyone would see. "Not showing off," said Jenny, "just doing what comes naturally." They were still going up but it did not happen for a while, Gracie's basket gathered dust in the cellar she could hardly force a smile.

~ Gracie's Dilemma ~

Gracie was booked for a week at the Grand Theatre, Oldham, much to her delight, a great success until the last night. She Seldom did anything wrong but she forgot to tell the band she would be singing a different song. They played one tune while she sang another, the audience were highly amused laughter they failed to smother. The curtain dropped to call a halt, Gracie knew it was all her fault. After the chaos she crawled back to Rochdale feeling her efforts were in vain and she may never have the chance to appear on stage again. The next day a letter arrived from the proprietor Mr. Ernest Dotteridge. "We can't condemn a good week for one bad performance." He offered her a season with a concert party at St. Anne's-on-Sea, which she did not accept very cheerfully. It was there she had done some childish boasting at ten years of age, "I'm soon to be a big star on the stage. 

~ The Turning Point ~

At fourteen Grace joined Charburn's Young Stars on tour for nearly two years as Gracie Fields. The best she had known, her notices so good Jenny insisted she came home to branch out on her own. No work came her way she contacted the agents again and descended on Percy Hall's office. Gracie said, I wore a new tight fitting costume and an enormous hat and I even carried a cane, Percy Hall winced as if in pain. "For God's sake girl take off that dreadful hat" but he had big ideas in mind, he offered me a ten year contract which Jenny and I eagerly signed. We did not dream nor did Mr. Hall that in ten years the gawky girl in the sill hat would have played 4.000 unbroken performances of Mr. Tower of London, and would go on to play two London theatres at once, one at £100 a week, another at £200, and a night club at £300. From not having enough money we now had tons of it. Everything I did seemed to fit, all through meeting Archie Pitt. 

~ Tommy Stansfield ~

At thirteen Tommy had the devil in him like most young boys as mischievous as can be, he became Gracie's best partner in acts of comedy. He started doing his bit selling picture postcards of Gracie while she was on stage tramping among the audience and tripping over people's feet as he moved from seat to seat. He made such a noise clinking his change to distract Gracie for sure, she was singing her most dramatic song "As Long As he Loves Me" when she heard clink, clonk, clink, she felt like sloshing him she could not stand much more. He dared her to keep serious during the song, lucky for him she did not falter or hit any note wrong. Tommy shared her circus of a life travelling from theatre to theatre here there and everywhere. He was married three times to actress Dorothy Whiteside soprano Cynthia Rawson and a teacher named Annette, he lived in Brighton shaking hands with the upper-class set.

~ Archibald Selinger ~

Archibald Selinger known as Archie Pitt was born a Jew and a Cockney he was a pale faced young man not good looking and not very tall, nothing to rave about at all. But he did have business ability, ambition, and a sound money sense, keeping an eye on the shillings and pence. He married a young girl May Deitchman she was only seventeen when she gave birth to a daughter named Irene. She lived in a big house with Archie's mother and sister Hilda she could not stand the strain, after eighteen months she walked out and was never heard of again. Archie had worked as a shop assistant, commercial traveller, and entertainer in pubs and clubs for working men, he had a leaning towards show business even then. Eventually he went on the stage as a comedian he was not very funny but he did get the laughs strange as it may seem, his three brothers followed him and worked as a team. Edgar, Pat and Bert were billed as The Three Aza Brothers their comedy act was no great hit their jokes lacked the essential wit. Archie was offered a part as principal comedian in a review 'Yes I Think So' he was then thirty-three and Gracie nearly sixteen when she arrived on the scene. Having met Archie Pitt she did not like him one bit. The way he looked at her failed to please it made her feel so ill at ease. Mumma had found free digs for Gracie in Manchester with a friend-of- a-friend, providing she did most of the housework it never seemed to end. To save money on tram fares she walked nearly three miles to the theatre and back. "False economy" Archie had said, "move in with me instead." Gracie had her own bed-sitting room on the top floor, glad to escape from Archie his penetrating look embarrassed her more and more. The landlady entered with her meal tray, puffing and panting from her kitchen it was quite a long way. "Dearie these stairs are killing me why don't you have your meals with that nice Mr. Pitt" Gracie felt for the landlady's sake she must grin and bear it. "Well!" said Archie giving her the same keen look, "Nice to see you, make yourself at home Grace", that she could never do. 

~ A Homely Girl ~

Archie Pitt believed in the graceful bow and curtsy Gracie had a different idea just ta ra or a whistle loud and clear. Although Archie did not approve to change her ways he made no move. Gracie was a homely girl this he understood forming a strong bond with her audience and he knew she always would.

~ The Scent of Success ~

Archie was not the ideal husband but as an impresario he certainly excelled. Encouraging, drilling and driving Gracie for stardom in the years ahead, keeping her up until two in the morning when she should have been in bed. Her teens and twenties spent on tour with him. Nine years travelling from one cold damp little theatre to another no heating, no hot water sometimes not a theatre even just a hall, I wonder how she endured it at all. Bad food, poor digs and three shows a day. Archie scented talent in her sister Betty he started to drive her the same way. His intentions all for their own good which Jenny fully understood. 

~ Sentiment and Humour ~

Gracie was unique the queen of laughter and tears. Her beautiful soprano voice expressed in sentimental songs and a sense of humour revealed in the comedy numbers. One hundred years after her birth we can still enjoy these delights through superb recordings she made in the thirties, forties and fifties. Now obtainable on tape from Evergreen and Musical Box.

~ A False Statement ~

Gracie realised fame and fortune is not all honey she received hundreds of begging letters asking for money. She voiced her concern over one sorry tale from an old woman who declared if she did not pay her milk bill she would be sent to jail. Gracie decided to send her three pounds Bert Aza said "Wait and see not one in a thousand are genuine it seems rather doubtful to me. If I can prove it is true I'll give her a tenner to satisfy you." He hired a detective to investigate the poor old woman was a healthy young man who drove a sports car, he could have landed in jail for his trick in deceiving the star.

~ The Wickedness of Men ~

Mother is success worth a nightmare like this? I thought fame and fortune would be absolute bliss. Whether folk are good or bad I find hard to discern, I still have a lot to learn. I can't forget my ordeal at the age of ten, oh, the artfulness, the sinfulness, the wickedness of men. 

~ Black Bonanza ~

Archie referred to the chorus girls as his daughters they called him Daddy Pitt, he believed in thrift and certainly encouraged it. Willing to put on extra shows wherever the need arose. One such show was staged for a group of miners who had just come off the night shift Gracie received no warning when she saw the rows of sooty faces she said, "Archie however die you manage to get so many chimney sweeps at this hour of the morning?."

~ The Mansion ~

There is some confusion over the name of the mansion Gracie referred to it as 'The Towers' while others say it was just 'Tower', whatever the name it certainly gave Archie a sense of power. He wore sulka silk dressing gowns his initials monogrammed on the pocket and sat at the head of a long dining-room table, living up to fame which Gracie was never able. All the edibles ordered the servants would bring, she was terrified of using the wrong fork or saying the wrong thing Annie Lipman felt quite at home, "It's gorgeous like living in a palace" she said, the opulence Annie enjoyed Gracie had grown to dread. 

~ Cottage For Sale ~

Archie bought a little cottage for Gracie at Cawsand Bay near Plymouth which she had seen when on tour, his kind gift touched her to the core. Gracie loved the place so much she kept the key in her bag and carried it everywhere, she planned to furnish it with cottagey things and spend holidays there. The next time she appeared on stage in Plymouth she invited the company to come and see her treasure, Gracie even arranged a picnic to give extra pleasure. On arrival they discovered the cottage had gone leaving only a bare patch of ground, not a single trace to be found. In great distress Gracie telephoned Archie in London. "Somebody's pulled my cottage down!." "Yes I did you can't have that dilapidated place, I'm going to build a modern house with a fine garden for you Grace." "No Archie, you don't understand" she said miserably, "what appeals to you does not appeal to me."

~ Jenny's Promise ~

Jenny's main interest was in her daughter's career not in affairs of the heart I fear. At twenty-five she married Archie Pitt because he insisted she had obeyed his orders all the way through, to say "Yes" seemed a natural thing to do. Betty was already a bride her wedding a joyous affair she asked her sister what she intended to wear. "Ah've got that nice new black dress." "You can't wear black for a wedding" Jenny said, "black is worn for mourning the dead." "A daft idea to be sure", Gracie didn't much care what she wore. In the end she chose a pastel two-piece and wide brimmed hat, Jenny quite approved of that. As his lawful wedded wife Archie still continued to rule her life. She did not meet anyone other than members of the company or go anywhere except for a coach journey on Sunday from one theatre to another. But stardom was shining bright and Jenny's promise "Were going up" kept well in sight.  

~ Vanity Values ~

Archie engaged a Russian princess as a housekeeper he said with a smile, she would show them how to live in style. The butler and the two cooks were as pompous as can be, Gracie was not allowed in her own kitchen to make a cup of tea. Archie furnished this red-stoned palace of a place with a marble bathroom for every bedroom, heavy crystal chandeliers in the gold and mauve reception rooms and in the enormous gold and mauve ballroom. To add to the splendour a magnificent balustraded staircase, the elevator had gold lacquered grills. Archie lapped it all up like a cat with a saucer of cream but it failed to give Gracie any thrills. The music hall queen felt a bit like Cinderella in a pantomime scene. 

~ A Safety Measure ~

Gracie refused to use the lift no matter what Archie said, the very look of it gave her a feeling of dread. Archie heaved a deep sigh, "The lift is there for your convenience Grace ay least you could give it a try." "I never will lifts are apt to get stuck half-way, already my nerves are beginning to fray. 

~ God Bless Our Home ~

Apart from the splendour of the mansion there were two acres of gardens more like a park. Archie bought squirrels to release among the trees. We had five Airdales and two Kerry Blue's in the kennels, indoors a parrot called Mac and Annie Lipman's Pekinese. The architect had devised a foundation stone inscribed with our name, this was Archie's way of living up to fame. I think he expected me to burst into "God Bless Our Home" but he failed to see The Towers was not home to me. No homeliness anywhere, two smaller rooms I insisted on furnishing myself I spent all my spare time there. Interviewed for a feature in the magazine Home Chat I said of course I love my new home it's sublime, I'd never have dared to say otherwise at the time. 

~ Love, Life and Laughter ~

Gracie's life over the years was a mixture of rapture and agony, laughter and tears. Her indomitable spirit marched along the reality expressed in a song. You're Driving Me Crazy; It Looks Like Rain In Cherry Blossom Lane; One More Chance and if I Should Fall In Love Again. Gracie said she would like to have spent every spring and autumn in England this was not to be, she could never persuade Boris to leave Capri.

~ Madam Tetrazzini ~

When Mr. Tower of London ended Archie wrote another review The Show's The Thing it ran for over a year at various West End theatres. At the Lyceum the operatic diva Madame Tetrazzini came to see this comedy show, "What's she doing here?" Gracie wished to know. She sat in the first box and eyed her through pearl handled lorgnettes. She had heard although Gracie clowned operatic arias she hit the top note just right she brought the house down that night. This regal dark haired little lady was waiting in Gracie's dressing room she had one of the most beautiful skilled voices in the world "My dear" she said, "Oh my dear, you must sing in opera, in good grand opera, not this." She dismissed the whole Lyceum theatre with a wave of her hand, there were tears in her eyes as Gracie tried to explain and she seemed to understand. "I am not meant for the opera house I belong to the music hall, unless trained to sing arias perfectly I would not attempt it at all." "When I was young my parents had no money to pay for singing lessons dreams of an operatic career quite in vain." They had a photograph taken together at Luisa Tetrazzini's request and did not meet again. Gracie cherished the memory that her operatic efforts passed the test and this superb prima donna she had greatly impressed.

~ The True Facts ~

Archie although I hate to be alone I have a mind of my own. Why should I take orders from you and agree with everything you do. I like the homely way of life all denied now I'm your wife. You housed me in a mansion you call home I was happier when I was on the roam. You did help me to achieve fame with lights spelling out my name. But I can't go around cooing like a dove our marriage lacks the warmth of love.

~ The Last Wish ~

When Gracie was ill in hospital Archie sent a lovely bouquet of flowers and a note, hoping they could meet and become friends again. As they had lived apart so long a meeting would cause no pain. Sadly there was not a reunion day, Archie a diabetic fell ill with cancer in nineteen-forty he passed away. They both had a passion for the theatre all was harmony on the stage, in private life quite the opposite I feel there was too much difference in their age. Archie was eighteen years older than Grace which gave his ego a boost, and he certainly ruled the roost.

~ After Tonight We Say Goodbye ~

Archie ruled Gracie's life from the age of sixteen his orders she had to obey, now she was over thirty she wished to go her own way. When she made her first film Archie still had a hand in everything, she felt it was time to break her vows and chance what life would bring. Annie Lipman was firmly installed as Archie's mistress this he did not deny, the following year Gracie said "After tonight we say goodbye." Archie moved out of "The Towers." He bought a house in Hampstead which he shared with Annie to start life anew, and Gracie enjoyed an independence long overdue.

~ Loving and Giving ~

Wherever I go, whatever I do, there is sure to be a long queue. People don't mind standing in the rain to send them home would be in vain. Crowds gather by the stage-door and there they stay, until the show is over then cheer me on my way. Will I ever get used to fame on the fact I am now a household name? Wherever I go, whatever I do, is only meant to give pleasure to you. Recordings made with one thought in mind, to leave part of myself behind. No need to mourn when I am gone, my melodious voice will linger on.

~ Walter Walter ~

Walter and me we've been courting for years but he's never asked me to wed, when each leap-year comes round I give three hearty cheers hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray then I do the asking instead. I don't want to die an old maid so I sing him this serenade. Walter, Walter lead me to the altar I'll make a better man of you, Walter, Walter buy the bricks and mortar and we'll build a love-nest for two. I've been sorting out me trousseau my wedding gown's as good as new, Walter, Walter lead me to the altar and make me nightmares come true.

~ Looking On The Bright Side ~

I'm looking on the bright side though I'm walking in the shade. Sticking out my chest, hoping for the best looking on the bright side of life. I'm waiting for the right tide and if luck comes to my aid, giving me a break I shall be awake, looking on the bright side of life.