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'Having assidously kept scrapbooks throughout her life, these now provide the foundation for a highly diverting, pictorial biography that is richly anedoctal in flavour, celebrating a long and diverse career' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
'On the subject of national treasures, June Whitfield shows how to make biographies fun again...by providing us with an annotated scrapbook of her career. The key word here is "trooper" as June, once described as the English Lucille Ball, tackles everything from South Pacific to adverts for frozen peas with patience, talent and endless good nature. It's a charmingly unpretentious approach that other stars would do well to imitate' (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
'On the subject of national treasures, June Whitfield shows how to make biographies fun again...by providing us with an annotated scrapbook of her career. The key word here is "trooper" as June, once described as the English Lucille Ball, tackles everything from South Pacific to adverts for frozen peas with patience, talent and endless good nature. It's a charmingly unpretentious approach that other stars would do well to imitate' (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
Product Description
A British Comedy Award for Lifetime Achievement, A 'South Bank Show' retrospective, a C.B.E. (she insists it means 'Caught Before Expiry'), twice the recipient of a red book on 'This Is Your Life' and with every major comedy star of the last half-century amongst her most ardent admirers, June Whitfield is a legend, a legend who in her 80's still gets up at dawn to prepare for yet another day in front of the cameras. In her long and rich career she has kept meticulous scrapbooks and these form the backbone to this highly illustrated account of her life and times. It is peppered with hilarious anecdotes and sage reflections on the cast of stars she has worked with as well as recounting some of the most iconic moments in comedy history. To no one else has the description 'National Treasure' been more appropriate.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
This is not an autobiography but a life in pictures. It is a credit to Miss Whitfield that it can honestly be said she hasn't changed one bit. June Whitfield was born into a middle class family in Streatham (the family home boasted a tennis court) to parents who were themselves amateur actors. As a teenager (before I was born) she attended RADA and was soon identified as having a bright future. It was a future she has certainly realised. She took shorthand and typing (just in case) and married someone unconnected with the business but not unconnected with the Establishment. Her husband Tim, to whom she was married for forty five years until his death in 2001, was in the same Charterhouse cricket team as Peter May, Jim Prior and Simon Raven.
Starting at the bottom of the theatrical profession she learned from legends such as Noel Coward and Joyce Grenfell. She appeared in Pantomime in Bradford with a young looking Wilfred Pickles and entertained a variety of postwar generations o ver the airwaves with her wonderful Eth to Dick Bentley's Ron in Take It From Here starring Jimmy Edwards. Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, Bob Monkhouse, Tony Hancock, Ronnie Barker, Leslie Crowther, Sid James and, most notably, Terry Scott were amongst the many stars with whom she worked. She outlived all of them and remains a link to that wonderful postwar world of the wireless.
She returned alongside Roy Hudd in the News Huddlines then made an absolutely fabulous contribution in the role of Jennifer Saunders' mother when she was beyond pensionable age, proving that age is only a number. June Whitfield was one of the few people to have appeared twice on This Is Your Life something which surprised her but no one else. Ever modest she regards her daughter, the actress Suzie Aitchison, as her greatest achievement.
These days June tends to remind us to make sure we have our life insurance in place to meet final expenses. She's better at it than Michael Parkinson too. If I look half as good as June Whitfield when I'm her age I'll be grateful, just as I'm grateful to her for the many hours of laughter she's provided over the course of my lifetime. A superb book about a superb entertainer wonderfully presented. Five stars, no question.
Starting at the bottom of the theatrical profession she learned from legends such as Noel Coward and Joyce Grenfell. She appeared in Pantomime in Bradford with a young looking Wilfred Pickles and entertained a variety of postwar generations o ver the airwaves with her wonderful Eth to Dick Bentley's Ron in Take It From Here starring Jimmy Edwards. Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, Bob Monkhouse, Tony Hancock, Ronnie Barker, Leslie Crowther, Sid James and, most notably, Terry Scott were amongst the many stars with whom she worked. She outlived all of them and remains a link to that wonderful postwar world of the wireless.
She returned alongside Roy Hudd in the News Huddlines then made an absolutely fabulous contribution in the role of Jennifer Saunders' mother when she was beyond pensionable age, proving that age is only a number. June Whitfield was one of the few people to have appeared twice on This Is Your Life something which surprised her but no one else. Ever modest she regards her daughter, the actress Suzie Aitchison, as her greatest achievement.
These days June tends to remind us to make sure we have our life insurance in place to meet final expenses. She's better at it than Michael Parkinson too. If I look half as good as June Whitfield when I'm her age I'll be grateful, just as I'm grateful to her for the many hours of laughter she's provided over the course of my lifetime. A superb book about a superb entertainer wonderfully presented. Five stars, no question.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
As the title says an `absolutely fabulous' read. June has had a great career and has evidenced this with her numerous pictures and scrapbook entries which details her life in pictures. This is a pleasure to read and a great keepsake for her fans. Pictures are great with a lovely picture of her on the front cover.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
June Whitfield is one of British TV and radio's true treasures. She might not have been given the chance to star in the way that a male equivalent, like the splendid David Jason, was done, but, in role after role in support, she has been excellent and wonderfully funny. This book is an undemanding but enjoyably nostalgic trip through her career, with many interesting images and entertaining anecdotes. It serves as a welcome companion to her previously published autobiography.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
June Whitfield 'At a Glance'.
At a Glance: An Absolutely Fabulous Life
I was disappointed that there was not more written content, mainly pictures. It didn't tell you a lot anout her life.
I was disappointed that there was not more written content, mainly pictures. It didn't tell you a lot anout her life.
Published 18 months ago by JudyWill
A marvellous tribute to one of our greatest comediennes
June Whitfield is among a very few truly great British comediennes and her autobiography is a thoroughly entertaining tribute to her glittering career. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2009 by Fiction Fan
great book ,about time!!
Well what can one say about this lovely actress but what a superb actor , lovely person and she's still going, this is a great book with lovely colour photo's in every page nearly,... Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by Mr. G. E. Gregory
Absolute Wonderful Photos
I have not bought any earlier autobiographies by Ms Whitfield but found this book complete enough for somebody who wants to know something abot her without needing to know too... Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2009 by S. Holmes
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