He went on to star in a children's series called Mr Majeika, about a schoolteacher who is actually a wizard. for virtual children's programming. Should he push aside the attention of this attractive, classy young woman? Stanley Baxter was a star on the Glasgow talent circuit aged six, in 1932. In London, Stanley found immediate success with TV satire On The Bright Side. (Later in my quest, I rang the clubs charming PR woman. From beyond the grave, Williams talked about him more frankly and perhaps imaginatively than any living friend would. Ovarian cysts in Pfizer BioNTech COVID Vaccine, Ovarian cysts in Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine, Abortion spontaneous . Treating spinal conditions affecting teenagers and adults led Moira into the field of Scoliosis where she helps . She was far more bohemian than me.' After 11 months of waiting, I was becoming frustrated. almost as often as a chambermaid turns down bed sheets.'. And what does the master of disguise look like now? Baxter staged full-scale MGM musicals and played every role. He moved to London eight years later. So: a legend. It was a golden period for British film-making, and he appeared in mildly successful black-and-white movies like the Highland comedy Geordie and Very Important Person, in which he starred alongside James Robertson Justice and Leslie Phillips. I felt I had to be very careful not to allow anyone a glimpse of my predilection.. I dont deserve it, I know, but if anyone can help me at this dreadful period, it is him, Williams wrote before leaving home. Any camper attached to a vehicle registered in Washington must be licensed in Washington; the RV Disposal Fee applies. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. Actor Stanley Baxter, 94, has bravely come out as gay and opened up about how his sexuality impacted his relationship with his wife Moira Robertson, who died in 1997. So he wouldnt talk to a newspaper, even over the phone? A bit boring! You wont tell me which part of London, will you? A psychiatrist diagnosed schizophrenia, but she refused to take medication. It's that time of year again, when I choose to bore the bi-weekly pants off you all by relating my erstwhile greenhouse adventures and, more often than not, misadventures. "Kenny thought I was making a terrible mistake," says Stanley. And, yes, the address I had was the correct one. Wherever he is, I wish him well. . I told her my preference and said, Thats why I am breaking off the relationship. Yes, was the terse reply. Moiras role, however, was reduced from Actress to Wife. He met Moira daily for lunch. Choosing to eliminate the obvious first, I checked the phone book. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. And he met Moira Robertson, a 22-year-old who had worked her way up from the wardrobe department to the stage. ASIC Home | ASIC - Australian Securities and Investments Commission Bringing businesses together in the emerging, disruptive technology space across; FinTech, Quantum Technologies and Quantitative Trading Technologies through face to face and virtual meetings and events. Helen Wright, 67, and Moira Robertson, 65, were also snared with 51,000 in cash at a house in Baillieston. Tayside & Stirling. Eccentric. The changing weather had given me a cold, so the stout went straight to my head, and the meal was tasteless. At one point during my researches I was intrigued to meet a person in north London who had lived near the Baxters for a while in recent years, and who believed that they now lived apart, but that Stanley visited his wifes new home for lunch most days. But by that time he was established as a television comic with his own show, in which he played a series of characters rather than himself. He directed shows himself, calling extra rehearsals if things were getting even a little sloppy mid-run, and coming down hard on anyone who attempted to ad lib. Helen Wright, 67, and Moira Robertson, 65, were also snared with 51,000 in cash at a . We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. Can you just tell me, finally, what city he lives in? Smiling at me. He never replied. Baxter began to turn work down not playing Captain Hook in a production of Peter Pan opposite Lulu, not appearing with Cannon and Ball at the Palladium. Why did Stanley agree to marry Moira? And there he was, coming up the steps to the door. I turned to walk away. Faye has joined us as receptionist and front of house expert on a maternity . It said, words to the effect of, 'I'll let you off if you don't want to marry me'. Some of it I knew from later editions: Hobbies: swimming, cycling, reading. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. No other intimate had ever talked about him in public. His act was so daring that he was probably the first TV comedian to impersonate the Queen. Moira died of an overdose, aged 69. Read the full biography of Moira Robertson, including facts, birthday, life story, profession, family and more. Having made it big south of the border, he regularly returned to direct and star in big-budget productions. For a nation still mourning the loss of Eric Morecambe, Baxter another survivor of the gentler, pre-television days of variety theatre seemed ready to succeed to the title of Britains Favourite Comedian. tyson jost dad; sean penn parkinson's disease; mockingbirds attacking my cat Kenneth asked Stanley what future he could expect if he married Moira Robertson. FOR MANY of the details I subsequently learnt about Stanley Baxters life, I was grateful to Andy Young, a Scottish freelance writer who gained the comedians confidence about 100 years ago and is one of the few people to have interviewed him at any length. One night on his way home he was arrested after being entrapped by North London police in a toilet and charged with Importuning. Fred Baxter, knowing his son was unconvincing in the role of Happy Groom, attempted a last-minute derailment. Ive often wondered how her life would have turned out had she married a devoted heterosexual husband., He adds, his voice breaking: I will never know why she loved me so much. Used Buffer and WordPress to advertise programming. Oh yes? Still smiling. But although the urgency had gone, the curiosity remained. If I wanted a closer look at him it would have to be on my television on 4 January. Yes! Stanley was up for the challenge. 'I admired how fashionable she looked. Moira's behaviour became more alarming. He was sent to India, and then further East to Burma, where he was promoted to corporal and assigned duties as a typist (Class 3). When his friend Kenneth Williams's diaries were published posthumously in the early Nineties, he fought a legal battle to ensure nothing about his sex life was printed. Not Stanleys fee, particularly, but you have to pay the Musicians Union, youve got to pay all the dancers, Equity and so on. Oh, they all varied, said the agent, suddenly sounding irritated. Bringing the very best to his latest film role, Crooks Anonymous, starring alongside Julie Christie and Leslie Philips. Stanley Baxter specials became vanishingly rare: one at Christmas 1976, the next at Easter 1979. It was the one and only time she had ever reacted in this way. And why shouldn't he? There was also a tiny quote from Baxter in the Times of November 1992, about how the role of Principal Boy should only be played by a woman: All those frills. A porter at the club confirmed that the comedian did swim in the pool most days. I believed that no-one in our family should be anything but a star.. Stanley was bringing the values of a different time and place into a world that had changed. But Ill tell you the basic outline. Scottish perspective on news, sport, business, lifestyle, food and drink and more, from Scotland's national newspaper, The Scotsman. . Stanley managed to survive the threat to his career just and Moira, as expected stood by her man. . Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Still smiling, though. Tanned and fit-looking, straight-backed, with his broad face exactly as it was on the television years ago, eyes that were calm but curious, and slightly sparkling. But Stanley, and Moiras family, coaxed her to take medication. marty odlin, running tide; jay mcgwire wife Menu Toggle. Is there any likelihood of that happening? He told Moira the relationship was over. Moira Robertson, 65, was snared with 51,000 of cash in bin bags and 24,000 of cocaine at her home on June 20, 2019. Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? Are you sure you want to delete this comment? He plays in Scotland to capacity every time, but thats not the point. Would he like to explain why? Stanley and Moira worked on a range of productions at the Citz together but the spring of 1949 saw the company move down to Ayr for the summer season and Stanley and Moira had lots of fun together. Getting dark. May 2021 - Present1 year 9 months. It was a relief. Stanley Baxter and Moira Robertson were married for more than 45 years. What none but his closest friends realised was that Baxter was desperately unhappy, his personal life a battlefield. STANLEY BAXTER has come out as gay at the age of 94 in a brave statement in his new biography, The Real Stanley Baxter, as the veteran actor admitted he brought men home with his "understanding" wife's blessing. Im going to cut you short. And the decision may have played a part his wifes untimely death. But it was because I knew I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.. X En poursuivant votre navigation sur ce site, vous acceptez l'utilisation de Cookies pour vous proposer des publicits cibles adapts vos centres d'intrts et raliser des statistiques de visites. Just a couple of years later he landed a five-picture deal with Rank Films. I had felt the relationship simply had to stop, so I broke it off. The STANDS4 Network. When he stopped doing TV spectaculars, we were told that everybody had an eye on the clock because the clock meant money. He saw Moira frequently, but the fractured marriage was always difficult. On December 23, 1950, Williams made another note in his diary: 'Stanley wrote to say he is going to marry Moira. As always this "diary" will be. If she did, she never let on. There was an S Baxter in that area, with an address. . Its just prohibitive, you know, because they were such big specials. The showbiz world is rife with tales of heartbreak, loneliness, wasted talent and regrets. Yes. Auditions were in Singapore and, after arriving there in December 1946 by flying boat, he was taken under the wing of a stooped, grey-haired man with a dusty moustache and a strident, nasal voice. You're not much fun any more. Offer price valid until 06/11/2020. 2. The relationship made a sort of sense, says Stanley. Certainly not Kenneth Williams: 'I remember sitting with him in an Italian restaurant, and telling him that I was very low. There was no reply from the intercom buzzer. What could he do? He had always felt guilty for marrying her. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can No. Later, they decamped to an island outside the city. The more I got to know of her I realised she was a lovely person, a woman of enormous heart.. Course Outlines; Job Offers; ruth sheen chin Menu Toggle. No, you might publish it. There were things he might like to say, but it wouldnt be in keeping to do so. Hes not there anyway. And, meanwhile, my deadline had passed, and there were other things to do. . And now he felt incredibly guilty because at the very end, he wasn't there to do what? I really dont. Robertson Baxter. When he first came to fame in the Fifties, his identity was largely irrelevant: we were content to let stars glitter from afar. Tragically, however, in 1997, the year Princess Diana died, Moira took her own life. Moira Robertson, 65, was snared with 51,000 of cash and 24,000 of cocaine at her home on June 20, 2019. Robert Louis "Bobby" Robertson, 90, passed away January 21, 2023, at his home following a valiant battle with Dementia/Alzheimer's Disease. Brian Beacom For The Daily Mail, 'I don't find you funny either - but yet the whole world laughs at you': Sacha Baron Cohen responds to Trump's 'unfunny creep' jibe, Keeping them laughing until the end: Bobby Ball was still filming until weeks before his death aged 76 after positive Covid test, as co-star Lee Mack pays tribute to his 'hero' and devastated Tommy Cannon says: 'Rock on, my good friend'. Its a dead loss, to be honest. Ill be calmer tomorrow. Mary Brennan sees nothing surprising about Baxter being so jealous of his privacy. In a 1963 entry, Williams described Baxter as disarming, honest, charming and hilariously funny all at once. So he just thought: No, its all too much for me. He is an absolute control freak, said the critic Mary Brennan. Absolutely not? Lara Clark, who said she was terribly sorry, but she couldnt show me round: the RAC liked to keep a low profile. He told Kenneth Williams as much. Its hard to know if the invigorating sea air or simply timing resulted in Moiras declaration, but she announced she wished to have a full-blown sexual relationship with her leading man. So I asked if he was aware that there had been a piece in the Sun over the summer, calling for Baxter to come back to television. I thought she would be still be heartbroken. Although we'd spend lots of time in each other's beds, nothing happened. Should I have taken her to Cyprus? Hes offered stage plays and everything all the time, but he doesnt want to lock himself into eight performances a week for six months, you know? Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. He died aged just 26 and Stanley was heartbroken. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. They procrastinated for several weeks, then passed me on to Channel 4s press office. 'There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality,' he says. The book was 10 years old, but it was worth a try. Which is not good, when youre in your sixties, is it? She would turn up at the stage door in Glasgow, unannounced. Baxter would tell the whole truth, on condition that it remained a secret. A nice, professional no. In 1959, Stanley realised the writing was on the wall for variety theatre in Scotland and moved to London. He had recorded a radio version of Compton Mackenzies book, Whisky Galore! Free UK delivery on orders over 15. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. . Early on, Stanley had hinted at his preference to Moira. He had indeed dreamed of being a professional actor since appearing on stage as a seven-year-old at local talent contests. Anybody who has acquired that kind of carapace is not going to come on like John Inman, rushing out of a closet, shouting, Im free! They have prided themselves on conducting their life with dignity.. Fine, but not much help to me. You. A life without stress you cannae whack it! Its Christmas, he said. 'I was in love with Bill,' Stanley says, 'but he certainly wasn't in love with me. Many weeks later, I was browsing for biographical material on someone else when I came across an old copy of Whos Who In Television, with an entry on Baxter. It was more than weakness. She has special interest in the conservative treatment of spine and joint conditions. Stanley had to move out, he says, for the sake of his own sanity. ', Beset with doubts, he confessed to Moira that all his previous affairs had been with men. HP10 9TY. ' Friends suddenly shunned him, fearful of guilt by association. I couldve hugged him. Other entries in the diary recall Baxter speaking of a desperate clinging to privacy and the rejection of a potentially hostile world. We are delighted to welcome Faye Mallinson to the growing Robertson Baxter team. Who was this man, who inspired so much silence? LWTs press officer had never even heard of him, but promised to investigate. Just to talk to a faithful hand that takes all the chaff and grain together, keeps whats worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blows the rest away. Moira Robertson Doctor at CHUV Lausanne. At close range, under the cap and behind the scarf, he turned out to be an elderly woman. It looked right. ', Until, inevitably, it did. Later that week, Marcus visited her they got on well and found her nursing a dying pigeon by the fire. There's no doubt about that. 'Marcus took me completely by surprise. I think it was probably fashionable at the time to get married even if there were undercurrents of other things that people didnt realise about, said Mr Young. She was desperate for a baby, something Baxter refused to contemplate. Instead, he withdrew from the showbiz world. His father was apparently a solid, reliable type who worked in insurance; it was his mother who encouraged the young Stanleys gift for mimicry, accompanying him on the piano while he did Harry Lauder impressions for friends and relatives. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. Im not giving any interviews at the moment. An edge in his voice. Yet there is one celebrity who has bucked the trend. But it worried me: was it right to doorstep a man who had worked so hard all his life to keep the private roped off from the public? Calls went unreturned, faxes unanswered. The last panto was in 1991, wasnt it? She wandered, like Ophelia through Hamlet, but she would have moved to the ends of the earth for me.. Wearing a calf-length tweed coat with a smart scarf folded across the throat. Nobody would tell me. Grandmother Wright carried out the crime in order to help pay off her son's drug debt. In January, 1962, he was focused hard on his career. 21:19 EST 30 Oct 2020 But over the years, Moiras mental health issues worsened. Meanwhile, on January 15, 1951, the engagement became national news, yet this didnt really register with Stanley. And wasnt marriage about compromise? And Stanley noticed her little eccentricities, her remoteness, her rejection of life's boring rituals of cleaning, cooking, washing laundry, had become more pronounced. Experiences in the Far East during his concert party stint confirmed to the Scot where his heart lay. If he was only prepared to work on the radio these days, could he be a total wreck? Retirement, at the relatively early age of 63, was total. My names Cole Moreton, from the Independent on Sunday. moira robertson baxter. Published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. He is an intelligent guy, and he likes to know who hes talking to. I was just ringing for you. He left for a theatre tour of Australia in a Brian Rix farce, leaving his wife behind. Gay men up and down the UK lived in constant fear of having their careers and lives wrecked. For good. joseph simon araneta marcos educational background; smith and wesson model 19 classic problems; national high school golf invitational 2022; has alex wagner had her baby One of them might be him, I thought. He was married for 46 years, but beneath his cheerful exterior lies a man tortured by the fact he is gay. why is today capitalized in hebrews 3:13; Tags . . And I said Well, it does worry me. He never appeared as himself. She once flew to Belfast to be "reunited with the spirit of [theatre director] Tyronne Guthrie." There was nothing like his dames, who entered in outfits sumptuous enough for Danny LaRue, but who could drop into rough Glaswegian patois at a moments notice. That would seem to indicate that there might be a return at some point, even just a one-off? Thats a difficult question. You know, the same sort of thing as Kenneth Williams. Shall we say affinity, I asked? As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. However, Moira was very, very upset. Jun 2021 - Jan 20228 months. As he grew up, she was intensely jealous and would shoo away any girls who admired him: 'She started telling me about these two boys who once took a wee girl into a haunted house up the road and did terrible things to her. where are we up to? Yes. Also known as. Perhaps it was time to forget it, let him be. Yes. Stanley Baxter is arguably the funniest man and one of the most fetching women in Britain. And your editor. How much had the big television specials cost to make? And so, Robertson & Baxter was formed. Today aged 94, he lives as he has for 25 years a virtual recluse at his flat in Highgate Village, North London. When he returned, he decided to seek medical treatment for his sexual urges. Once stardom had been achieved, he limited his television appearances and won an unusual amount of power over how they were made. Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. We are lucky at The Herald. Footnote from the present day: Stanley came out of retirement the following year, returning to our screens for a short while before slipping away again. View Moira Robertson results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 64, I said. . .Baxter was born in Glasgow in 1928, and raised in the genteel suburb of Kelvinside. Well, you, really. Alpha Events. Another professional acquaintance was prepared to talk anonymously, but only about his retirement (Nureyev kept going until he was censured and taken apart at the seams for coming on stage when he was obviously dying. Stanley asked the same question of himself but pushed the answer aside. Just a decade ago, his annual television spectaculars were as much a part of Christmas as turkey and hangovers: in December 1985, more than 14 million people tuned in to watch the monkey-faced Scotsman mimic the Queen, in a lavish show that included a full-scale orchestra and battalions of dancers. My dad said This is a very big step you're taking, Stanley. Unknown to Stanley, Moira had ditched her medication and the demons raged again. . And she was very good about letting them go to bed with me. Face full of character. I shouldn't have done, but I did. Carrying a plastic shopping bag. He reckoned it would at least a few years before the couple arrived at Wedding Central. This was going nowhere. The spotlight was his. I don't think you know what you're talking about and I don't think you realise that the future will be bleak for you and difficult for me., Stanley was adamant. To pre-empt that, he agreed to let me tell his story . Not him, then. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Look, his shows cost a fortune partly because it takes them so long to change and do make-up and so on. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. She may have worshipped Stanley but she never got herself worked up if her husbands white shirts were dry in the morning or not. Again. I like to retreat into playing other people. I don't want to be involved in this kind of world'. I felt vulnerable. And the sex was fine not rockets going off or anything.. The tracks had long been covered by this time last year, when Ian Jack, then editor of the Independent on Sunday and (being a Scot) a Stanley Baxter fan, issued his decree. You can tell Ive talked to the press before, cant you? 'She would think the television was talking to her.' So he must have felt a shiver when the waspish diaries of his late friend Kenneth Williams were published two years ago. London, England, United Kingdom. Home. She was in love with him and Baxter believed he was falling in love with her. As a last shot I rang David White, who said I had been very naughty. Hes always quite pernickety about who hell speak to, which is why I dont want to say too much about him at the moment. He later recalled trying to use his scripts to hide hands encrusted with coal dust, an early indication of the self- consciousness that was to become as ingrained as the coal.Invalided out of the mines with an ear problem, Baxter joined the left- wing Unity Theatre in Glasgow. This was the defining moment of Stanleys life. Actors have agents, and Baxters was listed in various theatrical yearbooks as David White Associates. It was all very selfish of me and a bit macho. Anyone would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life.' February 27, 2023 . A Gannett Company. Two years into the marriage, relations with Moira were "fine", but the sex was dwindling. 'I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.'. . Once again, the gates around Baxter had been locked. Finally, I realised that I would have to let Stanley Baxter rest in peace. There was a sort of obsession.. But had Moira truly leapt at the idea of leaving Glasgow and friends and family behind? A stage smile. Would it have happened anyway? Moiras death left Stanley bereft. That counts for a lot in this part of north London, where there are more antique shops than newsagents. But unknown to the world, Granny and the eponymous hero had decided to marry. By the age of 14 when he became radio star he knew where his destiny lay. I know it all sounds terribly old-fashioned but men had those expectations in those days., Now, Stanley admits another reason why he felt Moira should remain at home. Nostrils flaring. Moira meanwhile, had pushed aside question marks against Stanleys sexuality, partly because she adored her boyfriend and loved his talent. Then he vanished from our lives, leaving so little trace that few people even remarked on his disappearance. She visited the LWT studios while her husband's show was recording, and danced in the lobby when she was not allowed onto the stage. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles. We became close, without it ever being more than friendship.'. And after nearly a year of thinking about this man, after all the work I had done to find him, I had absolutely no idea what to say. I still don't. 11:52 EST 31 Oct 2020. . Jul 1988 - Present34 years 4 months. Facebook gives people the power. Writer and broadcaster, Interviewer of the Year for the Mail, winner of Radio Academy gold with BBC Radio 4. moira robertson baxter. Birth sign: Gemini. 'I was going to top myself,' he says. The decriminalisation of gay sex between consenting adults was still five years away. If there were someone I were interested in, I could bring them home. Supported creation and implementation of TD Summer Reading and StoryWalk program. But Stanley couldnt contain his sexual frustrations. 'She probably felt if she praised me I'd try less hard. Stanley walked through the doors of the Gorbals theatre and into theatre heaven, loving this avant-garde world populated by the likes of Sybil Thorndyke and Duncan Macrae. 'She told me she was hearing voices,' Baxter says. Newspaper interviews were very rare; he never appeared on a chat show. 28th February 2023 0. Scots who never visit a theatre for the rest of the year still find their way to the panto, where the scenarios and jokes have the familiarity of ritual. . With silk gloves up to his armpits and a tiara, he announced himself as the Duchess of Brendagh and delivered a Christmas message that talked of the Queen Mum as a priceless antique. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. 'He just liked the look of me, I guess,' Baxter says, 'which wasn't always the way with Kenny and people. Join Facebook to connect with Moira Robertson and others you may know. The front door was open. Williams believed Stanley to be taking advantage of Moira and a traitor to the cause. Other members included Kenneth Williams, with whom Baxter formed a close friendship that was troubled but life-long.It was quite a strong thing, said Young. 'I'm not. No. A PAIR of drug dealing Glasgow grans who were caught with over 24,000 worth of cocaine have been jailed. By then, he had fallen in love for the first time. Having worked in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore and London and across numerous sections, including finance, procurement, defence and e-commerce . Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. The charges were dropped, on condition that Baxter promised not to sue the police for wrongful arrest. By 1999, he was fearful that an unauthorised biography might be commissioned against his wishes. He's willing to let the world decide for itself. Bill had girlfriends, but he spent almost all his spare time at the Baxter house, sitting in Stanley's bedroom and talking till the small hours about art and philosophy, 'until we fell asleep, exhausted'.