A Perfect Day

Sons Visit Barkston, July 2003

Sons gather at the Bull Inn before the trip out

A reprise......Barkston is a small Lincolnshire village located 4 miles north of Grantham.

From 1937-1950, Stan Laurel`s sister, Beatrice Olga, and her husband Bill Healey ran a small beer house called the Plough Inn at Barkston, before later taking lease of the Bull Inn at Bottesford. The Plough Inn also became the home of Stan`s father, Arthur Jefferson (`A.J.`), following his retirement from the theatre in 1940. It is known that both Laurel & Hardy visited them all in Barkston on at least two occasions during the 1947 UK tour. The first visit was on Sunday, 16th March 1947 and was covered by the Grantham Journal. This visit was particularly special, as this was the first time that Stan had seen his family for 13 years and the Grantham Journal took photographs of the event. `A.J` died in 1949 and he is buried in the local cemetery

Barkston & Syston Cemetery, at Barkston

On the morning of 19th July 2003, a group of about 20 Sons from a number of Tents in the area, ventured in convoy from the Bull Inn at Bottesford to Barkston village. It was a wonderful sunny day, indeed an absolute perfect day for paying homage to `A.J.` and his family. There was also a sense of excitement and discovery at the prospect of seeing a new and unexplored area of the Laurel & Hardy world. Thankfully, there were no mishaps on the way, reminiscent of the Boys in Perfect Day or in Two Tars, and we arrived at Barkston to be greeted by John Cooper, his wife Jean, and his cousin Betty. John and Betty are related to the late Bill Healey, as nephew and niece. We all proceeded to `A.J.`s grave via St Nicholas Church.

Jean, John & Betty Martin (Beau Hunks Tent Vice Shiek)

Although many memories had faded, John recalled times when as a youngster he visited Barkston during the late 1940s . This was usually when his mother and father (Bill`s brother) looked after `A.J.` and the Plough Inn, while Bill & Olga were away on holiday or seeing the Boys on stage. He briefly recalled times when he sat with `A.J.` in his room at the Plough, sadly this was during his later years when he was not too well. He also recalled the time when the Boys visited in March 1947. On that day, he remembered them as two kindly old gentlemen, performing an occasional antic for the villagers, but certainly not over-presenting themselves as they were seen on the silver screen:

"We came for the afternoon, before the pub opened. We sat and chatted with them before going back on the bus. They were a very quiet pair to talk to, but they weren`t too serious. Then again, no-one expected them to do a turn."

During this 1947 visit he obtained their autographs. The other autographs are of Henry Brandon (Silas Barnaby in Babes in Toyland) and of Rosina Lawrence (Mary Roberts in Way Out West). These were obtained in Ulverston during the 1984 Sons of the Desert International Convention.

It was John that first researched and located the gravesite. He mentioned his discovery to Bill Cubin in the early 1980s....and the rest is history as they say. At the grave, a few flowers were laid and photographs were taken.

John shared with us a few rare photos of `A.J`, of his Uncle Bill & Aunty Olga in later years, and of the Boys. He also shared with us a funny story of how he had followed the wrong car to Olga`s funeral in Roker (Sunderland), and ended up on the drive at the home of the funeral director.... he then returned to the cemetery for a burial before realising that she was being cremated....he eventually, reached the right crematorium only to sit through the wrong service! I am sure `A.J.`, Olga & Bill, and of course Stan, looking down had a good laugh as John told his story.

Betty did not meet the Boys at the Plough Inn...but as a girl she did meet them a few months later at Grantham Railway Station on Sunday, 22nd June 1947 as the Boys were travelling from the Glasgow Empire to the Skegness Butlin`s Gaiety theatre. She recalled:-

"They must have been appearing up north. They came down, got off the train with their wives and their luggage and they walked down the platform. The people still on the train were looking as if it didn`t seem real. They didn`t go out through the booking hall. Some station wagons had come over from Skegness to pick them up. Aunty Olga and Uncle Bill went with them as they always said that they did not see much of them. Uncle Bill introduced Stan to me and he fondly touched me under the chin. They then went off to Skegness."

We then ventured on towards the Plough Inn...

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