Tales.....3
(Cont. from Tales 2..)
A little while later, he passed that way again.The chap was still there, still enjoying his cigarette.Geoff took a deep breath...and moved on..
Quite some time passed, and Geoff again passed the bench, and yes, the chap was still just sitting there!Unable to be tolerant any more, he went up to the chap and said something like"Shouldn`t you be working..What do you think you are doing?"
Back came the reply...I am enjoying my holiday!!
Dancing in the Dark...
It was the opening number,of the first show I ever did at Middleton Tower.My first appearance on the stage of the Berengaria.We were dancing a blues routine, to "Birth of the Blues".Paul Gold and his Orchestra struck up, the tabs opened, and we all danced our little butts off..but no one could see, as the stage lights did not come on.It was, as far as I know, the only time the stage electrician,Alan Taylor, was late for the start of a showThe orchestra were playing "Birth of the Blues", but onstage we were singing as we danced.."We`re Dancing in the Dark"

The following year, we did a routine to Brahms Hungarian Rhapsody..in "U.V." lighting.If you know the piece, you will know that its tempo varies tremendously, with very fast, and very slow bits.One particular night,Paul played the fast bits VERY fast,and the slow bits VERY slowly.When we finished..we were all leaning forward taking a bow,waiting for the music to play us off.Didnt seem to be happening,and a glance into the orchestra pit, showed Paul looking at his watch.
He shouted..My running order says dancers 2min 30secs..there`s another 30 secs. before I play you off...and he kept to his word We all had back ache next day..I was told he had "had words" with the head girl about his music, before the show.

Same year..we were onstage doing our `thing`,when I happened to glance over to the wings,just in time to see the revue company`s tenor, trying a "lift" on a very petite,blonde soubrette.He lifted her stright up, and smashed her head against the low beam, which held the lighting deck,above...Blood everywhere.Blonde became redhead! Luckily she recovered well!

That same year,again, we did a routine on a staircase.This staircase ran the full width of the stage, and we all danced on different levels.At one point we all swapped positions,some going up, and some coming down...not forgetting to smile at the audience,and not look at our feet!.
One of our number left,and a new girl came to replace her..Ruth.The staircase was too cumbersome to be erected for rehersals, so we taught Ruth the rouine on the level..calculating her position on the stairs.To remind her (as there was only time for minimal practise) we would shout in a loud whisper.."Ruth..LEFT" to prompt her to go left..UP the staircase  but..
horror of horrors When the time came..we were doing our routine "on the night" and we realised a miscalculation had been made, she was already on the top step.Come that bit of the routine, our prompts burned into her memory, Ruth went left..straight over the back of the staircase She sustained a broken arm, and thus ended her ill fated, short career as a dancer at Middleton Tower.
Mussel Shoot!
In 1964, we had a party of "game" old ladies,a coach load. from Liverpool.
One male bluecoat "wound" these poor ladies up all week.Late on in the week, he told them there was a mussel shoot ( !! ) taking place on theMiddleton Sands, and should they wish to join in they would need to be at the beach gate at 11minutes past twelve, to catch the tide...
The ladies turned up on time, at the beach gate, but surprise, surprise, no bluecoat (I do remember his name, by the way!!)
These intrepid ladies waited a short while, then set off to find this blucoat.
When confronted, he claimed they had misheard him, and he had actually said 12minutes past 11, and they had missed it
With this, our enraged heroines "lost it", grabbed him, stripped him stark naked, dragged him all round the site, then dumped him in the duckpond!
That year, come Gala Weekend, our ladies returned..and the blucoat who was normally very visible, was nowhere to be found, except when on detail at a competition or similar
Girl Power rides again!!