04/10/2026
My father’s third book of memoirs is now available to buy on Amazon and eBay. The cover and time frame are different from what I originally stated on here. I’ve had to reappraise. It deals with his time as Orlando on Crane and not the Orlando series as I got carried away and the 1959 to 69 book was 900 pages long. I realised this would cost me far too much to print making it inaccessible for my target audience so I divided the book into two. So this one is now 1959-65. It’s only 486 pages. (!) Orlando the series was just after this book ends. That book will be available next year. It will be called Orlando Orlando and more Orlando. Meanwhile here is the 1959-65 version of volume 3. ‘Tell Them to f..f..f.. Photograph Something Worthwhile’. It deals with ‘I’m Alright Jack’ where he was the stuttering shop steward, his time in 76 episodes of the nautical comedy ‘Mess Mates’ his escapades with comedians Charlie Drake, Arthur Askey, Tony Hancock and Harry Worth, his dubbing on a Hard Day’s Night, his classical drama performances on TV in ‘The Skin Game’, ‘Antigone’, ‘Time Remembered’ and the ‘Millionairess’, his presenting Billy Smarts Circus in front of 24 million people and of course his starring in ‘Crane’ with lantern jawed Patrick Allen and curvaceous (am I allowed to use that word anymore?) Laya Raki. Which increased his popularity enormously. And there’s more. And as this was the time he started putting all his crits in a scrapbook the press has a much bigger part to play than before. Anyway. Here’s the new cover (which is not the one I wanted but the printer printed the wrong one. It’s difficult being a publisher). Enjoy! JONATHAN KYDD
