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During this time in my life I was studying Ballet quite seriously. I did all the Ballet grades for MRAD with honours eventually entered for MRAD (Elementary and Intermediate). I was examined at the Royal Ballet company in London by Adeline Genée, Madame Karsavina, Felix Emery and Judith Espinosa. I receive good results and it was published(with my photo) in London papers with the caption that I was possibly the youngest candidate for such an examination. I used to be asked to dance for a number of people either in Theames (with the ticket admission) or in people’s gardens, homes etc. I remember going to London every December
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to dance for a charity organisation. I danced in the Lushington’s lovely gardens and the Abel Smiths and many others. It was all great fun. Daddy got lots of fun producing the shows. Mummy made all the costumes. Jo was always in it somewhere we engaged men at the Mill quite often and secretarys etc. I remember an Indian setting with Mr Longhurst (the Mill lorry driver) and Jimmy Free (the Mill electrician) carrying me on stage in a litter on a tiger rug. Jo was my servant and two young Mill teenage boys were servants with fans, moving them back and forth.
Another time, Daddy and I did a Pas de deux. He had a Big Black Box made with a heavy glass lid and he put a light in the box. On the front he painted a gold lamp base and I stood on the box at a given time in a Crinoline with the light underneath and it looked like a lamp. Daddy sat in a chair with a rug and made up to look very old. He was reading a book and had a miniature lamp replica of me alongside. He slept and the lamp dimmed and the light went on under my skirt. I came down off the pedestal and danced for the sleeping man and then when he stirred I returned to the box. The light under me went out and the tiny lamp with the Crinoline lady came on.
We also did a Big Production “Anne in colour” to Vienna waltz music which
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was a huge success and a sell-out night after a night. We have about 20 dances in that. Daddy was wanting me to consider dancing as a full-time engagement and we made tentative enquiries to the Royal Ballet. I had a tentative audition the next time I went to London and there was a possibility of going to school (Education) at the Royal Ballet School and be trained eventually to the Corps de Ballet.
But this was 1938 and it was obvious Chamberlain’s peace in our time was only temporary and I wanted to go to my new school at Ashford with my friends rather than branch out full-time as a dancer. I made my feelings very clear to my father and that night I saw him weep before me.
