Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Meeting Prince Edward in 2015
Title
Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Meeting Prince Edward in 2015
Date
7 November 2018
Description
Oral history interview with former dancer and Pantomime performer Gillian Haywood-Widdowson.
What's the story?
Gillian Haywood-Widdowson was born in Manthorpe in Lincolnshire in 1933 and moved to Nottingham aged 2, living in Sneinton Dale.
As a child she contracted rheumatic fever and following advice from doctors her mother enrolled her in dancing classes to try and prevent further problems with her joints.
As a teenager she started dancing professionally and performed in Pantomimes at the Theatre Royal, most notably Dick Whittington in 1948, Jack and the Beanstalk in 1949 and Red Riding Hood in 1950.
For these shows Gillian was one of the star performers for Kirby’s Flying Ballet, which performed spectacular aerial routines.
Gillian continued to dance well into her 40s, performing cabaret work, as well as her second career of designing and making bridal veils.
She still lives in Sneinton.
In 2015 the Theatre Royal celebrated its 150th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, on 25 September that year, the Theatre Royal’s actual birthday, Prince Edward made a special royal visit. Due to her long-standing history with the venue, Gillian and her friend Cherry Hutton, from previous Pantos, were invited to meet and talk with the Prince.
Here, Gillian describes that experience:
Oh it was lovely. A lovely feeling. Like you’re going back in time. And then when Prince Edward came, they told us to say “Your Highness”, that frightened us a bit and we became a bit tongue-tied. He came and he said to you “Now there’s two ladies I’m meeting” didn’t he? You could hear him talking. And I got up to shake his hand and he said “No, No, No. You stay down here. I’ll come down to you”. He knelt down and held my hand and, do you know, it was wonderful. A wonderful person, wasn’t he? Wasn’t he lovely, why isn’t he being noticed as much as he is? He should be on that telly a lot more. You never see him. I always look for him. Because all the others are getting all the things and all that and he’s sort of cut out. Probably that’s what he wants. Because he likes the theatre, doesn’t he?
As a child she contracted rheumatic fever and following advice from doctors her mother enrolled her in dancing classes to try and prevent further problems with her joints.
As a teenager she started dancing professionally and performed in Pantomimes at the Theatre Royal, most notably Dick Whittington in 1948, Jack and the Beanstalk in 1949 and Red Riding Hood in 1950.
For these shows Gillian was one of the star performers for Kirby’s Flying Ballet, which performed spectacular aerial routines.
Gillian continued to dance well into her 40s, performing cabaret work, as well as her second career of designing and making bridal veils.
She still lives in Sneinton.
In 2015 the Theatre Royal celebrated its 150th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, on 25 September that year, the Theatre Royal’s actual birthday, Prince Edward made a special royal visit. Due to her long-standing history with the venue, Gillian and her friend Cherry Hutton, from previous Pantos, were invited to meet and talk with the Prince.
Here, Gillian describes that experience:
Oh it was lovely. A lovely feeling. Like you’re going back in time. And then when Prince Edward came, they told us to say “Your Highness”, that frightened us a bit and we became a bit tongue-tied. He came and he said to you “Now there’s two ladies I’m meeting” didn’t he? You could hear him talking. And I got up to shake his hand and he said “No, No, No. You stay down here. I’ll come down to you”. He knelt down and held my hand and, do you know, it was wonderful. A wonderful person, wasn’t he? Wasn’t he lovely, why isn’t he being noticed as much as he is? He should be on that telly a lot more. You never see him. I always look for him. Because all the others are getting all the things and all that and he’s sort of cut out. Probably that’s what he wants. Because he likes the theatre, doesn’t he?
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Interviewers: Valerie Rogers & Sally Smith
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
