34
Of Peace and Pianists
Smitty and Harry were walking home through Meyrick Park
after seeing “A Song to Remember” at the Regent Theatre in downtown Bournemouth.
“I enjoyed the film, but I wonder how closely it depicted
the life of Chopin?” Smitty asked.
“Probably quite a sentimental, romantic version – Merle
Oberon as George Sand was a bit over the top, in my opinion.”
“I agree, but I loved the piano playing, even if the stars
didn’t actually do it themselves.”
“Yes, it’s amazing how they can make it look so real. I
liked the part when Chopin and Liszt shook hands while playing the Nocturne
together, one with his right hand and the other with his left.”
“That was quite a stunt. Do your parents include tricks like
that with their two pianos, four hands routine?”
“No, they’re pretty serious when they’re playing, and
besides, their grands are end to end, so it wouldn’t be physically possible,”
Harry said.
“Do they still perform regularly?”
“Yes, on the radio and stage. Their work really picked up
after they got back from England
at the beginning of the war. They were here for about two years, including time
in South Africa.
They went back home when it looked like war was brewing. Who would ever imagine
that it would go on for six years.”
“Well, it looks like it’s nearly at the end, what with
Hitler gone and Berlin surrendered, it seems to be all over but the shouting,”
Smitty commented.
“I guess we can expect the big news any day now.”
A gentle breeze wafted through
the elm trees as they left the park under the stone bridge and started walking
up their street.
“Do you hear that? It sounds like a piano. Someone’s playing
‘Tenderly’ – that’s my mother’s favourite song,” said Harry.
They walked up the driveway in
order to listen better.
All of a sudden, the music
stopped, a door flung open, and a distinguished, grey-haired gentleman demanded
to know what they were doing.
Smitty was the braver one. “We
heard the amazing piano playing and wanted to get nearer.”
“Well, come on in and you can hear me playing it in the same
room.”
Bournemouth, Apr. 28/45
My Darling Helen,
Received your two letters of 15th and 19th
and am so glad mine are reaching you at last. It is provoking to think that
they can’t keep up a regular service isn’t it? I mentioned it to the other Toronto boys and their
wives were complaining about it too.
Smitty
and I had a funny experience the other night coming home from a show. We were
walking past a terrific house when I happened to hear a piano so I stopped for
a minute and it sounded pretty good. So Smitty said “Let’s walk up the drive
where we can hear it better” so we did. No sooner had we got where we could
hear but he [the pianist] stopped and came out and asked what we were doing
there. I nearly died, but he immediately invited us in for a beer. He and his
wife made us feel at home in no time and I asked him to play a few things for
us. One of them was Marigold*.
I’ll close for now dearest. Another Saturday
night is here and no place to go. Wish I had a job. All my love darling, always
and always. Harry xxxxxxxx
P.S. The International Ballet is here next week so
I’ll be down to see them – you didn’t like Prince Igor eh? P.P.S. Bill is about
the same height as I am only heavier. P.P.P.S. I love you.
*Marigold, popular composition by Billy Mayerl, an
English composer and pianist.
**Carroll Gibbons was a pianist and bandleader who moved to
England in 1924 and became popular by playing piano at the Savoy Hotel in
London and helped to found the Savoy Orpheans, a jazz group, and the New
Mayfair Dance Orchestra
Tenderly
Lyrics by Jack Lawrence and music by Walter Groos
The evening breeze caressed the trees tenderly
The trembling trees embraced the breeze tenderly
Then you and I came wandering by
And lost in a sigh were we
The shore was kissed by sea and mist tenderly
I can't forget how two hearts met breathlessly
Your arms opened wide and closed me inside
You took my lips, you took my love so tenderly
The trembling trees embraced the breeze tenderly
Then you and I came wandering by
And lost in a sigh were we
The shore was kissed by sea and mist tenderly
I can't forget how two hearts met breathlessly
Your arms opened wide and closed me inside
You took my lips, you took my love so tenderly
35
Victory in Europe Day
Bournemouth, May 8, 1945
The sun streamed in through the bay window as Smitty opened
one eye and reached over to the radio to turn on the news.
“Prime Minister
Churchill is expected to make the declaration of peace later today,” said the
BBC announcer. “Stay tuned for the latest developments.”
“Harry, wake up, I think today’s the day,” Smitty shook him.
“Listen.”
“The Canadian army in Holland
is being repatriated after a successful liberation of that country.”
“Let’s go downtown and see what’s doing.”
They dressed hurriedly and headed
out. As they walked through the square, they could see the shop owners draping Union
Jacks over the doors and putting up bunting on the windows.
“Has Steve given any orders about our duties for VE day?”
Harry wondered.
“Not yet, although likely he’ll have a parade cooked up.”
“Now that you’re a corporal*, we’ll all look to you for the
inside scoop,” Harry kidded.
“Will you leave off already? It’s bad enough the ribbing I’m
getting from the other guys, please don’t you start. I really don’t feel any
different, but I guess I’ll get a little more pay.”
 |
| Norfolk Hotel, Bournemouth |
They headed
over to the Norfolk Hotel, across from the Bournemouth Daily Echo.
“If there’s anywhere to be in Bournemouth, this is probably it,” Harry said.
British, Canadian, and American
service personnel and civilians crowded the ballroom, talking, drinking and
smoking together in anticipation of the joyous news. The hotel staff was
hooking up loud speakers to a radio in front. At precisely 3 p.m. the
unmistakable voice of Prime Minister Winston Churchill boomed through the room.
“Hostilities will end officially at one minute after
midnight tonight. We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing. . .”
At that
comment, everyone cheered.
 |
| Buckingham Palace, VE Day, 1945 |
“This is your victory. Victory in
the cause of freedom. In all our long history, we have never seen a greater day
than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their bit. None have flinched. . .
God Bless You All.”
Someone started singing “Land of Hope and Glory” and they all joined in,
laughing and crying at the same time.
“Land of Hope
and Glory, Mother of the Free, . . . Thou hast reigned victorious, thou has
smiled at fate. . . Land
of Hope and Glory,
fortress of the Free, Hark, a mighty nation maketh glad reply; Lo, our lips are
thankful, lo, our hearts are high!”
Slowly the band members left the
hotel and walked back through the square and up to the Atherstone Hotel, where
Les and Bill were boarding.
“What better time to break out my
latest parcel from home,” Les announced, as they entered the tiny room.
He unpacked
tins of Spam, cheese, cookies, and chocolate bars and offered them around.
Bill got out some
rum and coke and they held up their glasses in a toast.
“To the end of this long, bloody war.”
*Corporal
is a military rank on a higher level than a private who is paid more.
Bournemouth, Tues., May
8/45
VE Day 12 midnight
My Sweetheart Helen
This is the day we’ve all been waiting
for. . . . It’s pretty hard to realize now that the war is over. When you
consider that three years of your life have been moulded around wartime conditions
and now all that is at an end. The news will seem pretty tame now won’t it?
 |
| VE Day 1945 |
. . . One of the boys who just received a parcel
invited us over to his hotel to have a feed. . . .Well, after finishing off 5
tins of Spam I spent most of the afternoon lying in bed while the rest of them
got to work on rum and cokes. I only had one drink believe it or not. I’ve
never seen Smitty get so flushed in the face as he was this afternoon; he was
almost purple!
The landlady invited the ones who
could walk down for tea and after that we all went over to the Bowling Green to see the boys who were
playing. I didn’t stay long as it was unbearably close and sultry all night
with low rain clouds, just like it gets in Toronto in the middle of summer. I walked
over to the Pavilion to see the fountain with a POW who was with us and spent a
few minutes looking at the constant changing of colours and patterns. It’s
really pretty to watch, but we soon got tired of that and went down to the beach
and sat down to get cooled off. There was a big bonfire going on the sand with
hundreds of people around it singing old songs; they were using deck chairs as
fire wood. There was another fire going up in the park.
It was getting late and my feet were
getting awfully tired so I decided to head home, and was it dark! The only
light to be seen was at the Norfolk Hotel and the people flocked around it like
moths. They had floodlights on it and the violinist from the orchestra was
playing on the balcony for the crowds. It sure was a feast for the eyes to see
all those lights.
Well
sweetheart space is running short so will close for now. I love you darling.
All my love
Harry xxxxxx
Toronto, May 7, 1945
My Only Sweetheart Harry
What a day honey! I’m still going around in a daze
really. At present it is 9:40 p.m. and I am writing at your dining room table,
after having seen the show “A Song to Remember” at Shea’s. I jumped out of bed
at ten when I overheard the news on the radio in the next room [of the official
surrender.] She [her landlady] said it was true, and I walked back and forth to
compose myself or try to. It just happened I had the day off as I worked
yesterday instead, wasn’t that nice. As I didn’t get a call in a half hour I
phoned your Mother and she hadn’t even heard it. Your Dad was still in bed . .
. Then I said I’d come down about one. To add to this, I received your letter
of April 28th. It all made me feel the bridge wasn’t so far between
us, and your P.P.P.S. on the bottom was so sweet. Oh darling! the thoughts of
seeing you thrill me even though I know it will be three to six months. Even
the air is different, no kidding.
. . . We were downtown in the mob and we sat on the
steps at the City Hall until after three, to see if the official announcement
would come, but apparently it has been postponed until tomorrow. At least King
George and the other leaders are speaking then. We walked back and saw lots of
gay people really doing the town and a couple of accidents, but they had calmed
down a bit tonight.
I
told your parents about you meeting that pianist. Did you enjoy your second
visit? That was swell. The news reports say the Canadian service men really did
it up in London.
Guess you won’t be there, will you? We
just looked out the window and the fireworks are going off.
My
parents heard your parents’ program on Canadian Cavalcade*. I am excited
darling. What will it be like when you come? All day tomorrow those thoughts
will run through my mind. Here’s to us. I love you dear.
Always yours. Helen
*Canadian Cavalcade was a CBC radio show that featured
duo piano team Harry Sr. and Ida (stage name Claudette) Culley who played live
in 15 minute spots.
36
Fortune Telling
A few days after VE Day, Helen went over to her cousins’
apartment near Dufferin and Dundas
streets to celebrate.
“I still can’t believe it’s finally over,” said Georgie, as
she brought in the teapot and plate of cookies.
“Yes, it’s been going on so long, I was worried it was going
to last forever,” Helen sighed as she sunk into the easy chair.
“It’s great to see the flags still flying and all the
streamers in the shops.”
“I hung out two flags from my window to show that I’m doubly
happy that it’s ended. It’s a good thing the celebration didn’t turn into a
riot here like it did in Halifax.
They say the damage was close to five million dollars. The papers blame the
Naval Authorities. The sailors were always unpopular; they’ll have a terrible
time now. I’m glad Jim and Murray
weren’t there,” Helen said, sipping her Earl Grey.
“Murray,
at any rate, was always out for a good time – I think Glady had her eye on
him,” Georgie smiled.
“Too bad they’re cousins. Yeah, I worry about them both,
being their older sister – I hope they don’t have to go to the Pacific now.”
“Have you finished your tea yet? Let me read your tea leaves – hmmmm,” Georgie
looked intently at the bottom of Helen’s flowered china cup. “You will be seeing a tall, dark handsome man
sometime in the next few months.” She looked up mischievously – “I wonder who
that could be?”
Helen smiled, embarrassed. “I’m finding myself getting quite impatient
for Harry to come home, but I know it will be quite a while. Oh, did I tell you
in the last letter he said that Bill is about 5’ 11”, the same height as Harry
is?”
“That’ll do. He hasn’t written me since April though, but a
certain Sergeant has been sending me quite a few love letters. We’ll have to
see who gets home first!” Georgie laughed.
“I was reading in the paper today that it was almost like
V.E. day all over again at Union Station the other night. One fellow was
greeted by his wife, his eight sisters and his mother, and what a grand-looking
group they were!”
Just then Georgie’s sisters,
Billy, Glady, and Donny came in from
shopping and squealed at the sight of Helen.
“Oh cuz, we’re so happy for you – finally it’s over and your
sweetie can come home.”
“Yes, I can hardly wait.”
Toronto May 16/45
Darling Harry,
I went over to Georgie’s last night and came home
about eleven. As I put my hand on the banister, on the way upstairs, there your
two letters were, dated 7th and 8th. I had been waiting
to hear how you spent the big days . . . At the fountain and the beach – I
would like to have been with you. No wonder the people gazed at the
floodlights, after seeing darkness for so long. . .
World
affairs are far from being settled yet. The countries have so many differences
and the big factor seems to be Russia.
It is to be hoped the next big meeting will clear up matters quietly, or the
result might not be pleasant.
Georgie
had one letter from Bill the latter part of April. She hears from her Sergeant
Murray very often and is becoming more interested in him. She expects he’ll be
home in July, as he’s been over three years. Anyway we agreed we’d have a night
out – the four of us, either with Bill or Murray, whoever it happened to be. Is
that all right by you honey? As for the date, that will be left open. Oh! he
sent her some German money and she gave me some.
I
don’t know what I’ll say to you [when he returns], but the words will come
straight from my heart. Goodnight dear, all my love Helen xxxxx
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