eBook - ePub
Our Betty
About this book
Liz Smith, once called the nation's favourite fictional grandmother, is a familiar face to all TV and cinema viewers. She is most often recognised for her role of Nana in The Royle Family and has appeared in numerous productions over the years. OUR BETTY is Liz's life story - from her cosseted yet lonely childhood with her beloved grandparents (her mother died giving birth to Liz's stillborn sibling), through the war with the WRENS, marriage and children, divorce and poverty, long years working in dead-end jobs such as in a plastic bag factory, until her heavenly escape of evening acting classes provided the chance for a career. While working at Hamley's one Christmas ('I was one of those tiresome people who stop you and beg you to try samples of this and that'), she received a phone call from a young director who wanted to make an improvised film. His name was Mike Leigh and the film Bleak Moments. From that point, when Liz was 50, her career took off and she has worked with some of the most famous names in the entertainment business. OUR BETTY is, like its author, original, amusing and fascinating on the struggles, hopes and successes endemic of a life in front of the camera.
Table of contents
- Cover
- About the Author
- Praise
- Title Page
- Acknowledgments
- Copyright
- Contents
- Beginnings
- Losing my mother
- Hearth and home
- Off to the pictures
- Baby Vickers comes to call
- Sweets and dresses
- Christmas
- Street games
- Grandad takes me to work
- Raining cats
- Plough Jags
- The Zam-Buk shop
- Sherbet dabs
- First day at school
- Great-grandfather Jonathan
- The garden party
- Summer days
- Grandad's plans
- Farewell Dad
- Adopted by Gran
- A new joy
- Mrs Sellick
- My bicycle
- Dressmaking
- Blaze away
- Gran sees me off
- Reporting for duty
- Action stations
- Life in India
- My first flight
- Airfield ablutions
- Jungle fever
- JT and me
- Home work
- Portobello culture
- Art and drama
- Winter 1947
- Exercises on breathing
- London life
- Into Epping Forest
- The pity of war
- Curtain-twitching
- Getting on, getting by
- Auntie Laura
- Odd jobs
- Giving it a try
- Learning to fly
- School
- Equus
- It's expensive to be poor
- Seaside days
- The tide turns
- A garden of delights
- A woman who worked for others
- Dream that I am home again
- Restoration
- Sarah and Ron
- Over hill and dale
- One batty family
- Bird Alone
- Memories of Thora
- No pig
- Right place, wrong time
- Argentine adventure
- Brighton belles
- Rich rewards
- Robert and Sara
- Stage for Age
- Working with Les
- The great directors
- Song and dance
- High spirits
- A Victorian whimsy
- First nights
- Play time
- Backstage tales
- House for sale
- Small notice
- Pirates
- The Revengers' Comedies
- The devil is in the detail
- A perpetual feast
- Nosing around
- In costume
- High-quality productions
- Writing and painting
- The eggs in LA
- Gran's legacy
- TV gold
- That old sofa
- A delightful confection
- Cornish pride
- Home comforts
- Back to Brighton
- Mrs Mulch
- Water Aid
- Whiskers on kittens
- Jimmy the donkey
- A fine time
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