I've just had a smile to myself and thought this sounds like the sort of nonsense Graham Brook would come up with.
It's Redruth, 1960, and fans are told that Lord Bertie's servant, Ponsonby will not appear. He has retired due to ill-treatment by the public.
Now I know you were only about six at the time Graham, but does it sound familiar?
Another entertaining story giving us all a bit more insight. As always, thanks very much Graham.
Just as Wilson and Keppel had many a Betty, so Bertie Topham had many a Ponsonby. Even, for a few performances, my old friend Ernie Garnside who brought a slew of American jazz musicians over to Britain last century (most famously Maynard Fergusson). The most effective Ponsonby I saw was a game girl (I believe one of Bertie's strippers) at Deansgate, Manchester's Houldsworth Hall when he faced Monty Swann and, later, Orig Williams. The problem for the Ponsonbies was often that they got a worse clobbering from irate punters outside the ring than Bertie did from his fellow performer in the safety of the ring.
I recall on the one occasion I used Topham that there was a coffee machine in the foyer of The Parr Hall, Warrington, which also served tomato soup and an irate lady bought the soup which came in a little white plastic cup and threw it at Ponsonby, ruining his pristine white shirt. Topham had double-booked being the first bout for me (I had him on against Mike Dallas) and then driving to Oldbury in the West Midlands where he was working for Gordon Corbett at The Hen and Chickens later that night and Ponsonby did not have a change of shirt.
Funny how things appear in hindsight. Topham was a real innovator but I did not book him again after this. The Warrington show was only my second promotion (in many ways my first as my actual first promotion was booked through and totally organised by Abe Ginsberg) and I had built the whole show around Bertie Topham. The night before the show he informed me that he was going on as the opening bout because of the double booking and, if I didn't accept that, he would pull out of the show. It meant the whole thing was the wrong way round with Topham versus Dallas as bout one and Eddie Rose versus Ian Wilson as bout two. Luckily I had also booked The Borg Twins who appeared after the interval. I was only twenty-one and I think he saw me as a bit of a kid with whom he could do as he liked. Having said that, he still produced an excellent bout.
Incidentally, talking of the announcement regarding Ponsonby's non-appearance, I recall the M.C. at The Houldsworth Hall announcing that Topham's disqualification against Swann would be reported to The House of Lords and that he would be banned from participating in future debates for a year. Not quite as good as my wheeze of hitting a tree full on on the motorway but surely pretty close.
But Graham will have a good excuse for his delay when he gets back to us.
He hasn't Answered yet HACK!-In the Meantime-A Rare LORD BERTIE
TOPHAM Poster from WINDSOR HALL BRADFORD -will Bridge the Wait!
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