1.
Jean Anouilh
Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. One of Frances most prolific writers after World War II, much of Anouilhs work deals with themes of maintaining integrity in a world of moral compromise, Anouilh was born in Cérisole, a small village on the outskirts of Bordeaux, and had Basque ancestry. His father, François Anouilh, was a tailor, and Anouilh maintained that he inherited from him a pride in conscientious craftmanship and he often attended rehearsals and solicited the resident authors to let him read scripts until bedtime. He first tried his hand at playwriting here, at the age of 12, in 1918 the family moved to Paris where the young Anouilh received his secondary education at the Lycée Chaptal. He liked the work, and spoke more than once with wry approval of the lessons in the virtues of brevity. Anouilhs financial troubles continued after he was called up to service in 1929. Supported by only his meager salary, Anouilh married the actress Monelle Valentin in 1931.
Though she would go on to star in many of his plays, Anouilhs daughter Caroline, Anouilhs youngest daughter Colombe even claims that there was never an official marriage between Anouilh and Valentin. She allegedly had multiple affairs, which caused Anouilh much pain. The infidelity weighed heavily on the dramatist as a result of the uncertainty about his own parentage, according to Caroline, Anouilh had learned that his mother had had a lover at the theatre in Arcachon who was actually his biological father. In spite of this and Valentin had a daughter, Anouilhs growing family placed further strain on his already limited finances. Determined to break into writing full-time, he began to write scenes for the cinema to supplement their income. At the age of 25, Anouilh found work as a secretary to the French actor and director Louis Jouvet at the Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Giraudoux was an inspiration to Anouilh and, with the encouragement of the acclaimed playwright, he began writing again in 1929.
Before the end of the year he made his debut with Humulus le muet. Ruled by the philosophy, the word creates the decor, Lugné-Poe let Anouilhs lyrical prose shine in front of a backdrop of simple compositions of line and color created a unity of style. The plays were not great successes, closing after 37 and 13 performances respectively, in subsequent years, there was rarely a season in Paris that did not prominently feature a new Anouilh play and many of these were being exported to England and America. Barsacq was a champion for Anouilh and their affiliation was a factor in the playwrights continued success after the war. In the 1940s, Anouilh turned from contemporary tales to more mythical, classic, pièces noires or Black plays were tragedies or realistic dramas and included Antigone, Jézabel, and La Sauvage
2.
Piccadilly Circus tube station
Piccadilly Circus is a London Underground station located directly beneath Piccadilly Circus itself, with entrances at every corner. Located in Travelcard Zone 1, the station is on the Piccadilly line between Green Park and Leicester Square and on the Bakerloo line between Charing Cross and Oxford Circus. The station was opened on 10 March 1906 by the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway with the platforms of the Great Northern, Piccadilly, as originally built it had, like other stations, a surface booking hall. It was decided to construct a sub-surface booking hall and circulating area, work began in February 1925 and was completed in 1928. The architect was Charles Holden and the builder was John Mowlem & Co, eleven escalators were provided in two flights, leading to the two lines serving the station. Above these escalators was once a mural by artist Stephen Bone and this mural was replaced by advertising. This station can act as a terminus for southbound Bakerloo line trains. Piccadilly Circus is one of the few London Underground stations which have no associated buildings above ground, Piccadilly Circus is a proposed stop on the Chelsea-Hackney Line, known as the Crossrail 2.
It would be between Victoria and Tottenham Court Road stations, effectively a new station would have to be built under the existing levels, possibly as part of a major overhaul of the existing buildings. However, there only be a stop at Piccadilly Circus if the Chelsea-Hackney Line is part of the London Underground network. This is the situation with many stations on the proposed route in Central London. London Buses routes 3,6,12,13,14,19,22,23,38,88,94,139,159 and 453 and night routes N3, N18, N19, N22, N29, N38, N97, N109 and N136 serves the station. Archived from the original on 18 March 2008, original station building shortly after opening Sub-surface ticket hall in 19291936 poster showing cut away of underground station arrangement Underground Journeys, The Heart of London. Illustrated history of Piccadilly Circus station, archived from the original on 4 May 2011
3.
George Grossmith Jr.
George Grossmith Jr. was a British actor, theatre producer and manager, director and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was an important innovator in bringing cabaret and revues to the London stage. Born in London, he took his first role on the stage at the age of 18 in Haste to the Wedding. Grossmith soon became an audience favourite playing dude roles, early appearances in musicals included George Edwardess hit A Gaiety Girl in 1893, and Go-Bang and The Shop Girl in 1894. In 1895, Grossmith left the stage, instead appearing in straight comedies. The lanky Grossmith was often paired with the diminutive Edmund Payne. At the same time, he developed a reputation as a co-writer of musicals and revues, Grossmith soon established himself as a major producer, together with Edward Laurillard, of such hits as Tonights the Night, Theodore & Co and Yes, Uncle. He wrote the long-running revue series that began with The Bing Boys Are Here and he continued to appear in other producers shows, including The Naughty Princess and No, No, Nanette.
Later, he performed in such pieces as Princess Charming and appeared in at least ten films for London Film Productions Ltd. among other films and he produced The Land of Smiles and Cavalcade, and in 1933, he played Touchstone in a production of As You Like It. George Grossmith was born in Haverstock Hill, the eldest son of the writer and Gilbert and Sullivan star George Grossmith and his grandfather was named George Grossmith, and even though he was the third George Grossmith, he was credited on stage as George Grossmith Jnr. His brother was the actor Lawrence Grossmith, Grossmith studied at University College School in London, and in Paris, and his parents hoped that he would follow an army career, but that was not to be. In 1895, Grossmith married burlesque and musical comedy actress Gertrude Elizabeth Cissie Rudge, whose name was Adelaide Astor. Letty Lind was the most famous of these and his wife had three children, Ena Sylvia Victoria, who became a stage and film actress, who became a theatrical manager, and Rosa Mary.
Grossmith was known for speaking songs and for his easy comic grace on stage and he was tall and gangling, with a face hardly less extraordinary than his curious legs and a humour as unctuous as his fathers at his best. Grossmiths first role in a musical was at the age of 18 in a comic role in his fathers collaboration with W. S. Gilbert. He next appeared in several comic roles, including in The Baroness. This was followed by appearances in Go-Bang and in George Edwardess production of A Gaiety Girl and he played in Pick-me-up at the Trafalgar Square Theatre in 1894 with Jessie Bond and Letty Lind. Edwardes hired Grossmith to create the part of Bertie Boyd in the hit musical The Shop Girl, the 21-year-old actor wrote the lyrics to his characters hit song Beautiful, bountiful Bertie, which he popularised in both London and New York
4.
Thomas Verity
Thomas Verity was an English theatre architect during the theatre building boom of 1885–1915. Verity began his career articled in the department of the War Office. He further assisted in the building of the Royal Albert Hall between 1867–70, in 1870, he won an open competition to build the Criterion Theatre and Criterion Restaurant for caterers Spiers and Pond founding his own architectural practice. Other London theatres for which he was engaged included the Royalty Theatre, the Novelty Theatre, the Folly Theatre, the Scala Theatre, in 1878, he was appointed consulting architect to the Lord Chamberlains office. Initially, this was in partnership with G. H. Hunt, but with his son, Frank Verity, both Veritys bought an interest in ornate Second Empire-style architecture to their early buildings, developing this into grand Beaux Arts in their works. Many of the buildings have achieved recognition in the late 20th century. Frank Verity continued the practice, on his fathers death, and Sam Beverley, his son-in-law, joined the practice in the 1920s, the company designed many cinemas achieving a Royal Institute of British Architects bronze medal for the Shepherds Bush Pavilion cinema in 1930.
The Pavilion with its famous Long Room at Lords Cricket Ground was built in 1889–90 to his designs, this historic landmark - a Grade II*-listed building - underwent an £8 million refurbishment programme in 2004–05
5.
Jermyn Street
Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St Jamess area of the City of Westminster in London, England. It is to the south of, and adjacent to Piccadilly, gentlemens outfitters Hackett and DAKS are located on Jermyn Street, as well as shoe- and boot-makers John Lobb and Foster & Son. F. Trumper, and Taylor of Old Bond Street, cigar shop Davidoff, as well as Britains oldest cheese shop, Paxton & Whitfield, trading since 1797. Among the restaurants in the street are the historic Wiltons, the new Fortnum and Mason restaurant -45 Jermyn St, tramp nightclub and the 70-seat Jermyn Street Theatre are on the street. Jermyn Street was created by and named after Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans, as part of his development of the St Jamess area of central London, the street was first recorded as Jarman Streete in the 1667 rate books of St Martins, listing 56 properties. In 1675 there were 108 names listed, floris, a perfumers in the street, has display cabinets acquired directly from the Great Exhibition in 1851.
The Gun Tavern was one of the resorts for foreigners of revolutionary tastes during the end of the 18th century. At the Brunswick Hotel, Louis Napoleon took up his residence under the name of Count DArenberg on his escape from captivity in the fortress of Ham. Twentieth-century residents included the 1930s big band singer Al Bowlly, though he did not live there, a statue of Beau Brummell stands on Jermyn Street at its junction with Piccadilly Arcade, as embodying its elegant clothing values. Aleister Crowley lived in No.93 during the Second World War up until 1 April and it was through Crowley that Nancy Cunard resided in a flat in Jermyn Street. Jermyn Street shops traditionally sell shirts and other apparel, such as hats, shaving brushes, braces. Many tailors owned or still own the houses along the street,22, Jermyn Street, for instance was once owned by Italian silk merchant Cesare Salvucci and a military tailor who rented rooms out to people such as the banker Theodore Rothschild. Most of the buildings appear in Survey of London in The Parish of St James Westminster Part 1 South of Piccadilly, Volumes 29 and 30, Vol.29, which can be viewed online.
Nikolaus Pevsner writes in The Buildings of England of No 97 “ The Mid Victorian shop-front of No 97 is one of the best of its date in the West End” and “No 93 is another good one”
6.
Empire, Leicester Square
The Empire, Leicester Square is a cinema currently operated by Cineworld on the north side of Leicester Square, London. The Empire was originally built in 1884 as a variety theatre and was rebuilt for films in the 1920s and it is one of several cinemas in and adjoining Leicester Square which are regularly used for film premières and first runs. The Empire Theatre opened on 17 April 1884 under the ownership of Daniel Nicols as a West End variety theatre on Leicester Square, as well as a ballet venue, the first performance was Chilpéric, with music by Hervé, adapted by H. Hersee and H. B. Farnie and described as a Grand Musical Spectacular, in three acts and seven tableaux, the corps de ballet for the performance was 50 strong. Kate Vaughan starred in Around the World in 80 Days at the theatre in 1886, Hervé premièred his Diana and Cleopatra at the theatre. In 1887, the theatre reopened as a music hall named the Empire Theatre of Varieties. From 1887 to 1915, the designer C. Wilhelm created both scenery and costumes for numerous ballets at the theatre, which established a fashion for stage design and were much imitated, george Edwardes managed the theatre around the start of the 20th century.
In March 1896, the Empire Theatre played host to the first commercial theatrical performances of a film to a UK audience by Auguste. The film programme ran for 18 months, over the next few years, the theatre began to offer a programme of live performances with short film shows. Lamb, parts of the Frank Verity designed external structure remain on the West side, the theatres capacity was increased to about 3,300 seats, it boasted a 4/21 Wurlitzer organ, a large stage which often hosted ballet and dance performances. It was one of the first cinemas in the UK to be air conditioned. The new cinema opened on 8 November 1928 with the silent film Trelawny of the Wells, programmes of cine-variety were presented at the Empire after the war. These were elaborate live shows, similar to those presented at the Radio City Music Hall, the American producer, Nat Carlson, was hired, in 1952 the Empire featured in Charlie Chaplins film Limelight, and can be seen in archived newsreel footage of special events.
In 1959, the Empire installed new 70mm projectors and a new screen in front of the proscenium to show Ben-Hur, in 2007, following further reconstruction and refurbishment, it re-opened as the Casino at the Empire. The theatre re-opened on 19 December 1962, with Jumbo, the auditorium would be named Empire 1 or Screen 1. In 1988, Screen 1 and the foyer were refurbished. Fibre optic starfields were fitted in the ceiling and above the screen. It preceded the start of each programme, proclaiming it to be The Most Spectacular Cinema in the World, the THX certification would be dropped and Martin Audio speakers were installed
7.
Topsyturveydom
Topsyturveydom is a one-act operetta by W. S. Gilbert with music by Alfred Cellier. Styled an entirely original musical extravaganza, it is based on one of Gilberts Bab Ballads and it opened on 21 March 1874 at the Criterion Theatre in London and ran until 17 April, for about 25 performances. The musical score to Topsyturveydom does not survive, but amateur productions in recent decades have used newly composed scores or performed the work as a non-musical play, topsyturveydom is set in a quasi-utopia, where things are the opposite of the norm. Party politics is lampooned, much as it would be two decades in Gilbert and Sullivans Utopia, Limited, as in that work, the king is a detested monarch. 1874 was a year for both Gilbert and Cellier. An adaptation from the French, Committed for Trial, another adaptation from the French called The Blue-Legged Lady, and he wrote a Bab-illustrated story called The Story of a Twelfth Cake for the Graphic Christmas number. Cellier produced his most successful work, a full length comic opera called The Sultan of Mocha.
Gilbert was either too busy to see his own show, or else, disappointed by its lack of success with audiences, he had put it out of his mind. In a letter to T. Edgar Pemberton, author of the 1903 book on the Criterion Theatre, Gilbert wrote, I am sorry to say that in my mind is an absolute blank to the opening of The Criterion. If you happen to have a copy of it and could lend it to me for a few hours it might suggest some reminiscences, the Athenaeum called the piece clever, but rather remote. An exercise rather than an amusement and his dramatic writing during this time was evolving from his early musical burlesques. Some of his work during this period exhibited a more restrained style, exemplified by a series of fairy comedies. Mr. Satis – J. Clarke King Patatra – F. Dewar Crapolee – E. W. Garden Wilkins – Mr. Smith Quop – Miss Montgomery Crambo – Miss C, this may be another Topsyturvey element. The Prime Minister of Topsyturveydom arrives at the home of old Satis and he describes his country as a land where everything is conducted on principles the very reverse of those in England.
The people are born elderly and grow younger until they become infants and they start out wise and gradually forget everything, until at last their minds are a perfect blank. Folly is honoured, wisdom is despised, true beauty consists in making yourself ugly and he has been comparing customs in the two countries and invites Satis to accompany him to Topsyturveydom. From inside the Kings reception room in Topsyturvydom, a landscape is seen through the window. A chandelier sprouts from the middle of the floor, and chairs, a ridiculous celebration has been planned, for the king is coming of age
8.
Charles Wyndham (actor)
Sir Charles Wyndham was an English actor-manager, born as Charles Culverwell in Liverpool, the only son of a doctor, Robert James Culverwell, M. R. C. S. He was educated abroad, at Kings College London and at the College of Surgeons and he took the degree of M. R. C. S. in 1857 and that of L. M. in 1858. His taste for the stage - he had part in amateur drama - was too strong for him to take up either the clerical or the medical career suggested for him. His first appearances on stage were for Sir Hugh Lyon Playfairs private theatre at St Andrews, early in 1862 he made his first professional appearance in London, performing with Ellen Terry. Later in the year he went to America and since further stage work was not forthcoming, there was a shortage of surgeons in the United States, which was in the throes of the Civil War, and he volunteered to become brigade surgeon in the Union army. He served at the battles of Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, on 17 November 1864 he resigned his contract with the Army to return to the stage.
He starred, in 1867, in W. S. Gilberts La Vivandière, in years he was to appear in America, between 1870 and 1872 in his own Wyndham Comedy Company, and in tours between 1882 and 1909. On one occasion he appeared in New York City with John Wilkes Booth, returning to England, his career blossomed. Although he was occasionally to play Shakespeare, his work consisted of the popular melodramas. He played at Manchester and Dublin in Her Ladyships Guardian, his own adaptation of Edward B and he reappeared in London in 1866 as Sir Arthur Lascelles in Morions All that Glitters is not Gold, but his great success at that time was in F. C. Burnands burlesque of Black-eyed Susan, as Hatchett, with dance and this brought him to the erstwhile St Jamess Theatre, where he played with Henry Irving in Idalia, with Ellen Terry in Charles Reades Double Marriage, and Tom Taylors Still Waters Run Deep. In 1876 he took control of the Criterion Theatre, S. Gilbert, and he became famous for his acting in David Garrick.
In the fall of 1882 he returned to America where he was given a dinner in his honor at which Oscar Wilde gave a speech. In 1899 he opened his new theatre, called Wyndhams Theatre, in 1860 he married Emma Silberrad, the granddaughter of Baron Silberrad of Hesse-Darmstadt. They had one son and one daughter both of whom survived him, when his first wife died in 1916, in the same year he married Mary Moore, youngest daughter of Charles Moore, parliamentary agent. Mary had been his leading lady for 30 years and had associated with him as a manager of his theatres. Charles Wyndham died on 12 January 1919, from pneumonia following influenza, Wyndhams obituary, The Times,13 January 1919 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Hugh, ed. Wyndham, Sir Charles. Thurston, H. T. Colby, F. M. eds. article name needed
9.
Haste to the Wedding
Haste to the Wedding is a three-act comic opera with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by George Grossmith, based on Gilberts 1873 play, The Wedding March. The opera was the most ambitious piece of composition undertaken by Grossmith, the piece was produced under the management of Charles Wyndham at the Criterion Theatre, opening on 27 July 1892. It closed on 20 August 1892, after a run of just 22 performances, although a failure, the opera introduced the 18-year-old George Grossmith, Jr. the composers son, to the London stage. He would go on to a career in the theatre. On 15 November 1873, Gilberts play The Wedding March debuted at the Court Theatre and it was a free adaptation of Eugène Marin Labiches Un chapeau de paille dItalie. The play was first to have been called Hunting a Hat, the name of the hero, Woodpecker Tapping, was taken from Thomas Moores ballad, The woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree. The play ran for about 92 performances, until 3 March 1874, on the plays success, Stedman notes, Gilberts adaptation is a model of how a French farce could be intelligently suited to the English stage.
It depended on split-second timing, on rapid intrusions and concealments, on frantically invented expedients and mistaken identities, and on the pursuit of a crucial object, the Era commented that there was enough fun. to make half-a-dozen ordinary farces. The piece was one of Gilberts most frequently played successes and brought him £2,500 and he told the critic William Archer, in 1904, that he had written it in just a day and a half. The play was given as part of a matinee at the Gaiety Theatre, London, on 4 December 1884 with a cast starring Lionel Brough. The idea of turning The Wedding March into an opera was on Gilberts mind for many years, the project was mooted in 1876 as a successor to Trial by Jury. The script of The Wedding March makes several references to an Irish song called Haste to the Wedding, by the 1890s, Gilberts partnership with Sullivan had unravelled, and Gilbert had to find other partners. He wrote The Mountebanks with Alfred Cellier, and turned to George Grossmith, by opening night,27 July 1892, Gilbert was approaching a reconciliation with Sullivan, who was in attendance.
Notable among the cast were Frank Wyatt as Woodpecker Tapping, veteran actor Lionel Brough as Maguire, the opera was not a success, playing only 22 performances. Stedman suggests that the timing of the premiere in July, traditionally a slow season, gänzl sums up the failure. the setting of the lyrics proved rather too much for Grossmith, whose musical talent, though tuneful and amusing, was definitely on the small scale. The songs added nothing to the play and indeed, by breaking down the plot and slowing the pace of the action. After a first night which evoked some wrathful comments from a disappointed audience and this piece was called The Italian Straw Hat and played strongly for limited seasons. Woodpecker Tapping, a Bridegroom – Frank Wyatt Mr. Maguire and it is Woodpecker Tappings wedding day
10.
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds and it has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major public buildings in London such as St Pauls Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. It is exported to many countries—Portland stone is used in the United Nations headquarters building in New York City, Portland stone formed in a marine environment, on the floor of a shallow, sub-tropical sea probably near land. When seawater is warmed by the sun, its capacity to hold dissolved gas is reduced and bicarbonate ions within the water are able to combine, to form calcium carbonate as a precipitate. The process of lime scale build up in a kettle in hard water areas is similar, calcium carbonate is the principal constituent of most limestones. Billions of minute crystals of precipitated calcium carbonate accumulated forming lime mud which covered the sea floor, small particles of sand or organic detritus, such as shell fragments, formed a nucleus, which became coated with layers of calcite as they were rolled around in the muddy micrite.
The calcite gradually accumulated around the fragments of shell in concentric layers and this process is similar to the way in which a snowball grows in size as it is rolled around in the snow. Over time, countless billions of these balls, known as ooids or ooliths, became partially cemented together by more calcite and this is one of the reasons why Portland stone is so favoured as a monumental and architectural stone. Dr Geoff Townson conducted three years research on the Portlandian, being the first to describe the patch-reef facies. Stone has been quarried on Portland since Roman times and was being shipped to London in the 14th century, Extraction as an industry began in the early 17th century, with shipments to London for Inigo Jones Banqueting House. Wrens choice of Portland for the new St Pauls Cathedral was a great boost for the quarries, the island was connected by railway to the rest of the country from 1865. Albion Stone PLC has been quarrying and mining Portland stone since 1984, Portland Stone Firms Ltd have been quarrying Portland stone since 1994.
Jordans is part of the Inmosthay Quarry in the centre of the Island, the quarry has been worked since the late 19th century. Albion Stone leases the section from The Crown Estate and purchased the northern part of the site in 2006. The majority of the southern reserves lie under the grounds of the cricket club. To avoid disturbing the site at surface level, the company has applied and received permission to extract the stone using mining rather than quarrying techniques, the reserves to the north will be quarried using the diamond bladed cutting machines, hydro bags and wire saws to shape the blocks. Albion Stone PLC now extract all their stone through mining which dramatically reduces the impact on the environment, jordans Mine is currently the biggest mine on Portland. Bowers Quarry has been operational since the late 18th century and it has been leased from The Crown Estate since 1979 and in 2002 it became the site of the first Portland stone mine by Albion Stone PLC
11.
Foggerty's Fairy
The story concerns a man who, with the help of a fairy, changes a small event in his past to try to save his engagement to the girl he loves. This leads to changes in his present, and he finds that matters are even worse than before. Foggertys Fairy opened at the Criterion Theatre in London on 15 December 1881, Charles Wyndham, the manager of the Criterion, starred as the lead character, Frederick Foggerty. Despite Wyndhams star power, interest in the bold and original premise and reviews that were at least partly positive. It closed on 6 January 1882 after about 25 performances, Gilbert turned back to writing comic operas with Arthur Sullivan. By the time Foggertys Fairy premiered and Sullivan had already written half a dozen comic opera hits, since 1877, Gilbert had not written a successful play apart from Sullivan. Gilbert wrote Foggertys Fairy for British actor Edward Sothern, who had commissioned two earlier plays from Gilbert, Danl Druce and The Neer-do-weel, Sothern had not been satisfied with The Neer-do-weel, despite various rewrites, and he refused the piece.
He had already paid Gilbert for the play, and Gilbert was unable immediately to pay him back, after various discussions between Gilbert and Sothern, Gilbert agreed to let Sothern play his recent comedy success, Engaged, in America and promised to write a new play for him. In the autumn of 1879, Sothern was on one of his lengthy American tours and he intended to open the new Gilbert play at the Park Theatre in New York in the spring of 1880. At the same time, Gilbert was rehearsing his American productions of H. M. S. Pinafore, the premiere of The Pirates of Penzance and touring companies to play these and The Sorcerer. On 29 February 1880 The Era reported, Mr Sothern says that, although his new comedy, by Mr Gilbert, has cost him 3,000 guineas and it is a piece of the wildest absurdity ever perpetrated, and all the parts are immense. Obviously by that date Sothern had received a version of the play and was enthusiastic about it. Sothern did not produce the play in the spring, and scholar Andrew Crowther speculates that Gilbert was late in completing it, in addition, Sothern had been ill for much of the time since the autumn, although he fulfilled his performing commitments.
Sothern came to England for a holiday in June 1880. After one illness and a short European tour, Sothern fell seriously ill in the autumn and his health declined until he died in January 1881 never having performed the play but leaving behind a heavily-annotated copy. Sotherns sister, Mary Cowan, was the beneficiary of Sotherns will, Sotherns widow contested the will, and it took Cowan until 31 May to probate it. Gilbert contacted Cowan soon after Sotherns death and offered her his help and he suggested that she underlet Foggertys Fairy to him for £525 and half of whatever he received for it until she had been paid 1,500 guineas
Piccadilly Circus
