Stories Of London

-oOo-

Jackie moved into Beryl’s mother’s house in Brockley soon afterwards and he and Beryl began making plans to be married.

Jackie undertaking repair work outside the house in Brockley

Once the flat of some friends at St. Norbert Road in Forest Hill became vacant, Jackie and Beryl decided to move into it.

-oOo-

A couple of months after obtaining her divorce in 1955, Beryl, who had not had time to change her name back to Aldridge, and Jackie were married. At this time, Beryl was 26 years of age and Jackie was five years her senior. The marriage took place on Thursday, the 15th September, 1955, which had not been their original plan. They had originally planned to be married a few days later on Saturday, the 17th, but once they learned that Jackie’s parents and sister were arriving from Scotland earlier than expected on the morning of the 15th, they managed to re-arrange their wedding date for the afternoon of that day.

Jackie and Beryl had re-arranged the date, as they did not wish to offend his family, since they were strict Presbyterians and would not approve of their living together before being married. While Jackie collected his family from the airport, Beryl managed to arrange the wedding breakfast. Once everything was ready, the wedding party found that they had sufficient time to have a celebratory drink at the local Public House before the service.

Beryl and Jackie were married at Lewisham Register Office, however since Jackie was committed to completing a recording job by the following day, he had to leave immediately after the wedding breakfast, and spend the afternoon and evening rehearsing and the following day while Beryl spent her wedding night sitting and talking to her new sister-in-law, Dorothy. The next day Beryl accompanied Jackie to the studio where he made the recording.

Photograph that appeared in the Melody Maker

-oOo-

Beryl & Jackie – A Night Out

-oOo-

Jackie & Beryl enjoying a quiet drink together

-oOo-

Jackie and Beryl continued to live in the flat at Forest Hill for almost two years, and then In 1957, they bought a house in Bromley at 55 Avondale Road where they lived until 1969. 

The Bromley House

It was here that their two daughters were born: Amanda (Mandy), on the 25th June, 1957 and Julie, on 31st August, 1959.

Beryl & Jackie with Amanda at Aeolian Hall in 1957

Jackie’s Parents with Amanda

Amanda with the recently born Julie

As Beryl was living in Forest Hill when she became pregnant with Amanda, she was given care by the medical staff at Kings College Hospital and was attended at the birth by a local Midwife from this hospital.  Julie was also delivered by a Midwife who was probably associated with the same hospital.

-oOo-

The family was happy living in Bromley and both Amanda and Julie enjoyed growing up there. Jackie continued, at this time, to find work as an arranger, accompanist and composer.  In addition, during this time he also gained work in radio, television and film (see Page ?).

-oOo-

When the girls were of school age, they attended Beresford House (closed in 1993), a private school in Bromley for several years and then Burnt Ash Junior Mixed School also in Bromley.

Amanda, seated in the chair, as Sleeping Beauty in a school production

Later, Mandy attended Bromley Grammar School (now known as Ravensbourne School) and remained there for two years until the family moved to Shoreham. After Julie took her Eleven-Plus Examination,  she and Amanda, finished their schooling at Kings Manor Co-Educational School (now Kings Manor Community College) in Southwick.

When Julie was in her final year at King’s Manor Co-Educational School, she appeared in the school production of Oliver!

-oOo-

-oOo-

Jackie with his sister, Dorothy and
(from Left to Right) Julie, Amanda & Wendy (Dorothy’s daughter) with Skipper

Amanda says : Someone gave Skipper to Dad in the pub and he took her home as a present for Mum. They called her Skipper at first thinking that she was a boy! This was a few years before I was born, however, Skipper had puppies when I was two years old! We all loved her very dearly although this did not stop Julie and I from occasionally dressing her up and giving her a “role” in one of the little plays or dances we loved to invent! She was clearly a very patient dog. I remember one of our favourite games was “spaceships” (the Moon landing was imminent when we were small). We liked to lie upside down on the sofa (our spaceship), then make take off and landing noises on our way to the Moon, a.k.a. our back garden. Poor Skipper was cast as an alien being, whom we met whilst exploring! Poor dog, she was a very friendly alien…

Amanda with Skipper’s puppies

-oOo-

Both Amanda and Julie were musical and learned to play the Recorder at Burnt Ash Junior Mixed School. They later played in various School Orchestras. Amanda learned to play the Guitar while Julie learned the Clarinet. When Miss Yvette Besson’s (her Clarinet teacher) dog (Dougal) died, Julie wrote a piece of music for her called Dougal’s Lament.

Score of Dougal’s Lament written out for Julie by Jackie

Dougal’s Lament composed and played by Julie on the Piano

-oOo-

Dougal’s Lament Composed by Julie Channon nee Brown – Transcribed by Jackie Brown –
Arranged & Played by Michael Wooldridge on Yamaha EL700

-oOo-

Jackie’s Trumpet complete with Mutes

Jackie literally filled their house with musical instruments: from a Baby Grand Piano, to an Upright Piano, a Trumpet, a Clarinet, a Piano Accordion, a Banjo and even a Theatre Organ Console, which occupied the entire garage and relegating the family car to the street.  Jackie played all of these instruments apart from the Organ, since it had no pipes.

Amanda with her Father’s Trumpet

Apparently he tried to teach his daughters how to play the Trumpet with its variety of Mutes. Although neither of the girls made much headway with the instrument, they did appreciate The  Wah-Wah Effect made with one of the Mutes!

The Wa-Wa Sound 

-oOo-

Amanda later played in a combined school Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall where it performed the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976).

Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

-oOo-

Although both girls had piano lessons, only Julie went on to learn the organ with her father as teacher. Jackie wrote an Octave Exercise for Julie to help her stretch her fingers to play Octaves when she was learning the piano.

Jackie’s Octave Exercise written for Julie

-oOo-

In 1967, when Julie was 8-years old, she performed a short solo at the Swingalong Farfisa Concert at the Royal Festival Hall organised by Western Music Company Limited and Rank Audio Visual Limited, and where Jackie also performed.  Julie played an arrangement by her father of Edelweiss from The Sound of Music , on a Farfisa Leader Electric Organ,

Farfisa Leader Electric Organ

Julie seated at the Organ during her Solo on the stage at The Royal Festival Hall
(Jackie was watching his daughter from the Wings)

Julie with her Father and other performers at the Swingalong Farfisa Concert
at The Royal Festival Hall (1967).
From Left to Right: Louis Dean, Managing Director of Western Music Company Limited, of Hammersmith is offering thanks to: John Dales, Julie, Marcosignori, Jackie and
Dickie Wren, Product Manager Electronic Organs, Rank Audio Visual Limited at the end of the Event 

-oOo-

Julie also performed along with her father at the 1968 Swingalong Farfisa Concert at The Royal Festival Hall, where, she performed a rendition of White Christmas.

The Score of White Christmas prepared for Julie by Jackie

-oOo-

I have learned that Julie’s puppy, Fisa, led a happy life until she was six years old. At this time, and sadly for her and The Brown Family, she was found to have developed a lump, which upon inspection turned out to be cancer, which had spread throughout her whole body. Julie was advised by the Vet that as she was suffering, it would the humane thing to allow her to be put to sleep. and so, amongst much sadness, they took the advice of the Vet.

-oOo-

Jackie & His Daughters having fun in the Garden at their Bromley home.

Jackie tried to spend as much time as he could with his family.

-oOo-

Like other families, the Brown family went on holidays together

-oOo-

Beryl & Jackie on Holiday in Italy in 1972.
This was the last holiday the family spent together.

-oOo-

Jackie at home in Brockley and relaxing while reading a magazine on Motor Racing

Jackie had always been interested in Motor Racing, and had raced himself periodically before his marriage to Beryl when he occasionally was able to race 500 cc Vehicles.

Jackie’s Racing Goggles

When Jackie and Beryl started going out together, they often spent their weekends visiting Motor Racing Circuits and once Jackie started racing again, Beryl would accompany him to watch his races.

-oOo-

Even after Jackie had stopped racing, he was a regular visitor to Circuits such as Brands Hatch and Silverstone where he enjoyed meeting the drivers and chatting about the performance and specification of the various cars along with all things racing. Jackie was also a very keen amateur photographer and took the opportunity to take photographs of many of the most important racing drivers of the time.

-oOo-

Jackie with American racing driver and automotive designer Carroll Shelby (1923-2012) in 1953.
Mr. Shelby was best known for his work on the AC Cobra and Mustang for the Ford Motor Company.

-oOo-

Jackie with Mike Hawthorn (1929-1959; left) who, in 1958, became Britain’s  first
Formula One World Champion driver. Following this, he retired from Auto Racing
and unfortunately was killed in a road accident three months later. 

-oOo-

Jackie (right) with Jean Behra (1921-1959; left), a French Formula One driver, who raced with the top teams including Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, British Racing Motors (BRM) and Gordini and Italian-born Aldo Gordini (centre; 1921-1995), son of Amédée Gordini (1899-1879) owner of the French sports car manufacturer Gordini.

-oOo-

Jackie (standing and wearing a cap) watching work being done on the Alvis Chevelle Special

-oOo-

Jackie in his MG (1953)

-oOo-

While living at the house in Bromley, Jackie bought a Morgan, which he enjoyed driving very much.

Beryl with Amanda seated on Jackie’s Morgan at the house in Bromley

-oOo-

Although Jackie was no longer employed as a Theatre Organist for a Circuit, he would often be invited to give a concert by one of the Theatre Organ Societies.  The photograph here shows him with Beryl together with Amanda (left) and Julie (right) at the Console of The Theatre Organ of the Granada Theatre Tooting.

—oooOooo—