“I don’t know what London’s coming to — the higher the buildings the lower the morals.”
― Noël Coward, Collected Sketches and Lyrics
High Buildings, Low Morals published by Amberley 2017
It’s been two years since my last book, for which I apologise, but High Buildings, Low Morals has at last been published and I’m very proud of it. The title comes from a Noel Coward quote and ‘the Master’ pops up now and again in the twelve chapters that make up the new book. High Buildings can be seen as volume two of Beautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics and again several of the stories have come from this Nickel in the Machine website although completely re-written and with even more interesting detours, tangents and digressions. There are again plenty of brand new pictures and photographs to accompany the text.
Here are the chapters in the book:
1. The Headless Polaroids, Mrs Sweeny, Mussolini and P. G. Wodehouse
Margaret Whigham aged 18
2. Scott’s Restaurant, the Balcombe Street Gang and the Second Blitz of London
Ross (right) and Norris McWhirter on the Record Breakers BBC show. The photograph was taken four days before the IRA assassinated Ross on 27 November 1975 on the doorstep of his home and in front of his wife.
3. The Trial of Schoolkids OZ, the Downfall of the ‘Dirty Squad’
Walker’s Court in Soho, March 15th 1966.
4. Captain Sears, the Nazi Wreath at the Cenotaph and the Hitler Paint-throwing Incident at Madame Tussaud’s
Harry Price in 1932
5. The Charming Lord Boothby, His Friend Ronnie Kray and the Humble Woolton Pie
Lord Boothby and Ronnie Kray with friends and associates at the Society Restaurant
6. The Prince of Wales Theatre and the De-Mob Suit – Starring Sid Field and Featuring Dickie Henderson, Kay Kendall, Terry-Thomas and the Ross Sisters
Dixie Ross one of the Ross Sisters and who would marry Dickie Henderson
7. A Hungry Graham Greene on the Night of ‘The Wednesday’, and the Death of Al Bowlly
Al Bowlly
8. When Tallulah Bankhead Met Gerald du Maurier, and the Eton Schoolboys Scandal
January 1931, American actress Miss Tallulah Bankhead pictured waving as she leaves Waterloo Station on a train, en route for the USA
9. The House of ‘Cyn’, Jimmy Graves and the Rise and Fall of the Luncheon Voucher
Girls Playing Cards, Bellocq
10. Cocaine, the ‘Yellow Peril’ and the Death of Billie Carleton
Billie Carleton
11. Judy Garland, Johnnie Ray and the Talk of the Town at the Hippodrome
Mickey Deans, Judy Garland and best man Johnnie Ray, 1969.
12. An Absolute Sirocco, Old Boy! Quo Vadis, Evelyn Laye, and the Story of Soho Girl Jessie Matthews
Griffith Jones and Jessie Matthews in First A Girl
If you would like a signed copy of the book leave a comment or contact me by email, Facebook or twitter and I’ll get back to you with details. I can usually get a book to you within 24 hours.
The beautiful photograph on the cover by the way is by Carl Mydans and features a foggy Piccadilly in 1952. Here is the actual picture.
Piccadilly in the infamous pea-souper smog of 1952, photo by Carl Mydans
