JULIE ANDREWS

‘… in the summer of 1945, Morecambe Winter Gardens was into its customary ten weeks season of twice-nightly, variety shows. One of the acts appearing was the popular husband and wife singing team, Ted and Barbara Andrews.

‘At that time I was employed at the Winter Gardens as a stage electrician. One morning, whilst doing some maintenance work in the stage area, Mr Woodhead, asked me to move some lighting equipment which was blocking access to a grand piano situated near the rear wall of the stage. It seems that Barbara Andrews had requested his permission to use the piano in order to accompany her daughter’s singing practice.

‘The stage curtains were wide open and the steel safety curtain was about three quarters raised. There were a few maintenance people and cleaning staff in the theatre at the time, perhaps, 12 or 15 all told. Then this young girl started to sing. She was just wonderful. For a few moments everybody present stopped working and then continued working in silence. I had no idea at the time, who the girl was, except that she was the daughter of Barbara Andrews. Years later, I realized that she simply must have been Julie Andrews.’

Julie would then have been about 10 years old and on the verge of beginning her solo career. As we can see from Eric’s account she was already touring with her parents during the early 1940s. Later in 1945 she was formally presented to the audience at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton by her tenor father, Ted. It is reported that she had to stand on a box to reach the microphone.

Her solo career officially began the following year when, on 5 December 1946, she appeared at the Stage Door Canteen Club for Servicemen in the presence of the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. From then on she became more widely known, particularly through her appearances on the radio show Educating Archie where she played the part of ventriloquist dummy, Archie Andrews’ girlfriend.

Back though to Eric’s original question – had Julie Andrews ever appeared at the Winter Gardens as a billed performer? As some of you may already know, the answer is yes. The 1951 summer season featured comedian Albert Modley with special guests each week and a full supporting variety programme. From Monday 30 July 1951, twice nightly at 6.45 and 8.30, the show welcomed Semprini and Julie Andrews, by then being described as ‘the phenomenal singing star’.

Friends member Debbie Cain asked her dad, Peter Modley (Albert’s son) if he had any memories of Julie Andrews at the Winter Gardens. His earliest memory of Julie is of her as a little girl of 11 or 12 with plaits in her hair, standing on stage singing with her mum and accompanied by her dad on the piano. The show might have been On with the Modley or Modley’s Merrymakers. Peter also remembers being Julie’s babysitter while his and Julie’s parents went to the Park Hotel for an after show drink. Julie and Peter would sit at home on Albert Road for 2 or 3 nights in this way playing draughts or dominoes together.

Later Julie and Albert appeared among a host of stars in one of the first televised pantomimes, probably Cinderella. By this time she would call Albert her Uncle Albert. Julie apparently suffered with very bad tummy nerves. One day, passing Albert’s dressing room and seeing him having 40 winks, she asked how he could sleep and wasn’t he nervous. His reply was, ‘No, you’ll get used to it!’ and he proceeded to chat to her to calm her nerves. Later on Julie sent a lovely signed picture to ‘my uncle Albert’.

Julie Andrews’ visit is clearly remembered by another Friends member, Audrey Sutcliffe. Audrey’s friend, Dorothy Johnson, had lived near the Andrews family in London and they had become good friends. When Julie knew that she was to appear in Morecambe, she made a point of inviting Dorothy to supper after one of her shows and so it was one midweek evening that Dorothy, Audrey and Audrey’s bandleader husband Wilf gathered backstage. Eventually Julie came clattering down the stairs from the dressing rooms and flung her arms round ‘Auntie' Dorothy.

The party went over to the Midland Hotel where Julie, a very natural 15 year old with no airs and graces, chattered late into the night. One story Audrey remembers Julie telling is how she had been invited to a Christmas party at Windsor Castle. Also at the party was Petula Clark and the two of them had sneaked away from the festivities to go exploring and had found a jewel-encrusted sword.

Audrey remembers this still as a marvellous night and loves Julie to this day.

Looking through the pages of The Visitor (Morecambe’s local newspaper) at the time, Julie’s appearance was overshadowed by the triumphant return of Thora Hird to the Royalty Theatre as Mrs Lord in a play called The Happy Family. By then a star of the West End stage and accompanied by her film star daughter, Janette Scott, Thora caused quite a stir. The pair paid a visit to The Craggs and the Starlights show on the Central Pier, and were honoured by the naming of an amphibious vehicle the Thora and Janette. The Visitor even managed a short review of The Happy Family.

So it was, that on 30 July 1951 Morecambe saw opening nights for not one but two future theatrical dames – Thora Hird and Julie Andrews.