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READERSVOICE.COM aims to give a few interesting samples from out of print books. There is a good account of a clown’s performance in Les Girls, a 1956 memoir by Constance Tomkinson (1915-1995). Ms Tomkinson was an adventurous Canadian who travelled Europe performing as a dancer in the late 1930s. Ms Tomkinson had gone to a […]
Farther along in the chapter Travelling Circus, from her 1956 memoir Les Girls, Ms Tomkinson continues her account of a performance by Spanish clown Charlie Rivel (1896-1983)… Naples was noted for its tough audiences. We listened as we sang for the whistles of disapproval, but they did not come. In the wings we passed Paulina […]
Constance Tomkinson continues her account of Charlie Rivel circus clown in her 1956 memoir Les Girls… The little man, who had walked through the rehearsals as if in a coma, was a brilliant clown. You merely looked at the bulbous red nose, bald wig fringed with tufts of frowsy hair, eyebrows curved in an exaggerated […]
Constance Tomkinson continues her account of clown Charlie Rivel… After ridiculous preparations he tripped over his flippers in to a forward somersault, knocking down both partners as he landed on his face. Alfredino gave Charlie an angry slap and he and Pauli retired to the other side of the stage to continue their tricks. Charlie […]
READERSVOICE.com aims to give a few samples from interesting out of print books. Here are a few humorous items from Toowoomba, Strange and Unusual Tales, Volume 1, by Don Talbot and John Larkin, published 2003. Toowoomba is a city in the mountain ranges west of Brisbane. The authors collected the stories of Toowoomba’s past from […]
The Michaels Store in Ruthven Street… The book mentions a store proprietor named Nayef Michael George, a member of the Lebanese community in Toowoomba. He ran the Michaels store in Ruthven Street, the main street of Toowoomba, in the 1970s. He was known as George Michael. He was generous to the local churches when they […]
Some items on the Toowoomba Royal show… When the Toowoomba Royal Show was operating at the old show grounds in Campbell Street, there was one feisty pig farmer who got very annoyed if his sows didn’t take a prize. While others were applauding the presentation in the ring, he, with smouldering tension reflected in his […]
READERSVOICE.COM aims to give a few samples from interesting out of print books. This issue features Dinkum Aussie Yarns by Maurie Fields. Mr Fields (1926-1995) was a vaudeville comedian and actor. In later life he told jokes on a night-time variety tv show called Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday. The show ran from 1984 to 1999. He […]
More jokes from Dinkum Aussie Yarns by Maurie Fields… A BLOKE [a guy] goes into a chemist’s shop and asks for a cake of soap. “Would you like it scented?” asked the chemist. “No, thanks,” says the bloke, “I’ll take it with me.” A YOUNG hippy bloke was up before the local beak [judge]. “Do […]
More jokes from Dinkum Aussie Yarns by Maurie Fields… A MAN rushed up to the ticket window at the railway station. “Quick, I’m in a hurry!” he said. “Give me a return ticket!” “Where to!” asked the booking clerk. “Where to?” said the man. “Why, to back here, of course!” …THE SAME feller gets the […]