I accept this post has nothing to do with travel except in the sense of time. It is just an excuse to post this picture of a play, one of several I find intriguing. My Dad was a scientist by education and natural inclination; an industrial chemist, his entire working life was spent at ICI at a time when chemistry was a new frontier, the IT of its day.
He had no interest in the arts, I never heard him sing, he very rarely went to the cinema and I don’t remember my parents ever going to the theatre. And yet, here he is taking part in an ICI Trafford Park amateur dramatics production, front of stage (he is on the right). I would guess this was taken in the immediate post-war years and is one of several productions he participated in – I have another picture of him dressed as a vicar, a most unlikely role.
I imagine this is a ‘whodunnit’ – Colonel Mustard, in the lounge with a bottle of whiskey. My Dad looks so young and innocent I assume he did it. Any suggestions for the name of the play would be gratefully received – however unlikely :-):
northumbrian : light 
The Curious Incident of the Pickled Shrew?
By Jove I think you’ve got it 🙂 – the very sad sequel to The Taming of….
whiskey galore part two…..who drank all the whiskey?
In that case my Dad is innocent as he was almost teetotal 🙂 That’s another story involving a pub in Thruxton, Hampshire and a Grand National winner – for another time he says mysteriously 😉
Tease!
🙂 The horse was called Highland Wedding
That’s an amazing find about your Dad. My granddad (Pop) was an industrial chemist at the ‘Phossie’ – ICI’s branch in Geelong – and of similar disposition. Sad to think that a generation of men probably just put away any potential for creativity or personal expression to deal with the realities of making a living post-war. I straight away think of Arsenic and Old Lace – a perfect one for the chemists.
A good call Chas – that wallpaper bears a striking resemblance to the arsenic infected stuff that did for Napoleon :-). I paid just enough attention in chemistry to guess that the Phossie was linked with phosphate production – an interesting connection. ICI was a good company in those days (or so Dad said). Thanks for stopping by.
Yes – they Phossie produced fertilizer – or at least that’s what went out the front door. I daresay during the war there were other things going on in these places.
Would you like spam with your whiskey?
What a great find of a photo.
Thanks MrsCarmichael – yup, spam was probably a rare treat back then.
I just love reading your posts! I have no suggestions for the play – but I really like the photograph!
…and I am so pleased you take the time to read and look – many thanks.
Cool photo, kind of neat that your Dad did have this other side although no one in the photo looks particularly comfortable with being on stage. Perhaps “Staged” as the name of the play?
You may be right 🙂 I have always wondered what might be happening in the audience that has them so distracted – perhaps my sister (who would have been very young then and me not even thought of) was screaming 🙂
Ah ha! the plot thickens 🙂 Perhaps it was one of those audience participation plays 🙂