Filling in the Gaps (6 page)

A few nights later we all met at the MP's beautiful home and drinks were served and sexual preferences were discussed. As usual, I made a flippant remark but their remarks were much less so and leaned towards their preference for very, very young boys! I have no idea why they assumed I might have been remotely interested in such a topic, because the opposite was true - I find the whole idea abhorrent. They seemed to belong to some kind of club with a secret code name and out came some photos. There was no internet then but they had slides shown on a projector. They were not all that explicit, mainly just nude poses, but of very young boys. I knew that once again I was in a very tricky situation and had to get my stupid self out of there, and fast!

I remember reading recently that an investigation was going on into similar events and I wondered if any of those involved were from that evening, but I suspect most of them would have passed away by now because they were not that young then. Sadly, those days seem to have had more than their share of dreadful paedophile incidents - so many well-known and well-loved household names. The biggest surprise, and I stress it was a ‘sad' surprise, was the Rolf Harris arrest. He, too, is from Perth and I believe was a friend of my cousin, the Olympic swimming coach. Many mutual friends here and also staff at several radio and television stations in Australia confirmed the accusations about Mr Harris. I had also attended functions where most of the persons now in serious trouble were in attendance, but the only one who really gave me the creeps was Jimmy Saville, who was a big fan of Su. I always felt almost seedy around him. Every month or so now a new name seems to be exposed. I truly have been shocked by some of the names and it all seemed to be happening around the same time. Most curious and terribly sad, especially for the victims who had to wait so long to have their cases heard.

Beyond Su and Hello Sach

My marriage to Su was well covered by the press and in my earlier book. Through her I had a life that seems like a dream today. Meeting idols, opening fetes, both of us asked to very high-profile events, receiving mail from fans of Su's who wanted both our autographs, and so many photographs! English people gave me so much affection through Su that I am inspired by the memories of those days to keep on keeping on, when recent sad times have pushed my spirits to the depths. One very special incident was when I received a message from a certain William Brougham, who disliked me intensely over the years because he thought I was a hanger-on to Su's coattails. However, when he recently flew to Australia and by chance bought and read my last book, he totally changed his opinion of me and we are now in regular contact through Facebook. This kind of reaction to my last book touches me deeply.

Mind you, Su and I had our moments. I recall in New York one day a few days before her magnificent opening at the
Park 10 Club
we had a huge and hurtful fight in a yellow cab. I opened her door and pushed her out of the cab into the street and said something like, ‘
Get back in the gutter where you belong!'
Suffice to say, we made it up half an hour later - in hysterics! Volatile we were but deeply caring too.

Life with Su brought with it many benefits but it also made me more determined than ever to be my own man and stand on my own two feet. However, there are a couple of incidents I left out of my earlier book that now seem rather camp fun! One of them happened at a gay pub where Su had just done a free charity show in a tiny bar in the East End. Everyone was congratulating her so I decided that it was the perfect time to go to the bathroom, as she was busy signing her record
Starting Together
. I walked in the door and turned around to see a young man in his early twenties who told me he
loved me
and to prove it wanted to give me a token of his affection. He did this by undoing his jeans and taking them off, followed by his tiny underpants, which he stuffed into my jacket pocket! I was dumbfounded and forgot that they were in my coat pocket for ages. I don't think I ever saw him again. The other day in a trunk full of articles and souvenirs from my time in London I found the underpants. I asked Sach if they would fit him but they were much too small. The owner must have been a person of diminished stature. I decided to keep them, with Sach's approval, a camp souvenir of such fun times.

Another occasion I was reminded of occurred when I saw the wonderful move
Pride
about the striking miners who were helped by gay, lesbian and transgender groups to survive in the most awful fights with the Thatcher government. Su and I were in the march that was depicted in the last scene of the movie and it is one of my proudest days. The gay groups were at the head of the march with the miners and although we were down the line we were still very much a part of the protest. Su took a great risk taking sides but she has always had the guts and character to give her all wholeheartedly to any cause she truly believes in, and there are several.

Being married to Su was a memorable time for both of us and full marks to Su for her support during times that were often daunting. I learned a huge amount from the years I spent with her and I have been able to apply some of those lessons as my life, to be brutally frank, winds down. I know that it sounds terribly dramatic coming from me - something I hardly ever am. Ask anyone! However, as one reaches seventy and has had few major health hiccups the above statement is more true than false.

After my dad's sudden and unexpected death at sixty-nine years of age I returned to Australia and stayed to support Mum and the family. After a few months of doing so, Su and I decided to try a trial separation, which is how I met Sach backstage at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne - in the office of my ex-partner, John Frost, during the run of the musical
Big River
. My opening line on meeting Sach, ‘
Have I had you?
' He did not appreciate, so it took many months for us to decide that we would try to form a relationship.

It was a bit of a shock for me to once again be involved in a gay relationship when I had decided that I would be much happier on my own after the end of my marriage. The last thing I wanted was any kind of involvement, gay, straight or whatever. I cautiously introduced Sach to my family, who were quite welcoming. I think Su was a bit of a challenge to their sensibilities! I also introduced him to one of the most important members of staff at Channel 9 in Sydney and a dear friend of mine and John Frost's,
‘Lady'
Olga Byron, who has now sadly passed away. She was one of the funniest persons I ever met and with the driest sense of humour. I shall never forget her comment when I first met her through John Frost and asked her if she was married. Her reply was, ‘
Darling, I've been married twice - one husband died and one wouldn't!'

While we were trying to sort out our feelings, Sach and I were staying with a friend of his in an apartment on Sydney Harbour. This friend fancied Sach desperately but hated me with a passion - hard to believe I know! I would only leave the bedroom when he was out of the apartment. I would run to the fridge and grab some food and drink, go to the bathroom and head back to the bedroom. Needless to say, we did not stay long. I was getting bed sores! After Sydney, we flew to London via Honolulu, Los Angeles and New York to sort out things with Su. Unusually for me, I did a rather bitchy thing once we arrived in Honolulu and sent a postcard to this person who hated me. It just said,
‘The weather is here - wish you were lovely!'

Honolulu was a test of how we would cope as a couple. Sadly, I failed the test a couple of times. Being newly returned to the gay scene, I was very insecure and became quite jealous of Sach. He looked like a male model and of course caught the eye of roving gays wherever we went in Honolulu. One day in Ala Moana, the biggest shopping centre in Hawaii, a couple of obviously gay guys walked past us and gave Sach a wolf whistle and smiled sweetly. Well, that was the last straw. I lost the plot! I stormed off to the car park under the mall but for more than fifteen minutes I couldn't find the bloody jeep we had hired, so I was marching to and fro in a fury. When we did finally get into the jeep I let fly with a few choice accusations, saying he encouraged them, he loved the attention, and our relationship would never work out and on and on. Sach lost his temper and punched his fist right through the dashboard and ripped off a door handle. Boy, did I shut my stupid mouth quickly! Violence has always terrified me and still does, and this was some heavy punching - never on me, thank heavens, although I probably deserved a whack every now and then. I was on the receiving end of a lot of them growing up.

One other slightly embarrassing incident in Honolulu was when we decided to go swimming on the other side of the island. We took off in our trusty jeep, which had no top. Neither did Sach. After a magnificent day we headed back to our hotel, and being as saucy as ever, I dared Sach to take off his swimming trunks and sit there naked for a few miles. Never dare Sach to do anything! He immediately dropped his drawers and sat there naked as the day he was born. At the very same moment a bus filled with Japanese tourists pulled up beside us and cameras started flashing - as well as Sach. I took off at breakneck speed, terrified someone would report us to the hire car company and then the police. Thankfully no such thing happened, but I would love to have seen some of those photos in the Japanese tourists' cameras!.

Next stop Los Angeles. We loved West Hollywood but not the city of Los Angeles itself. It was only a short stopover but while there we went into a Kentucky Fried Chicken for a quick meal. Suddenly all hell broke loose as two huge and very aggressive African American men started to fight with the staff and make threats that they were going to kill them. Sach and I cowered under a table and I prayed with all my heart that I wouldn't end my life on the floor of a KFC store in Los Angeles. We made our escape as the security guards took over but I was a wreck. As we left the two African Americans followed not far behind and wrecked the doors of the shop on their way out. Thankfully they didn't see us, as we were sliding along the street with our backs to the wall, trying to become invisible.

Then it was on to New York for a brief stop over before London, where we stayed with an old friend who was the headmaster of a large Catholic school. He organised for a few old friends to pop around for a drink and I went to see Su. It was a very painful meeting because we both knew it was really just confirming that it was time to go our own ways. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever done, both of us tearful. I walked for hours all over Islington recollecting some of the most wonderful experiences and happiest times of my life, then walked into the West End past the Adelphi Theatre where Su had been a huge success in
Me & My Girl,
past Joe Allen's Bar, which was a regular haunt of ours, and I finally went back to my friend's home with a very heavy heart.

I made my farewells to the people I had grown to love dearly, many of whom I still am in contact with, and came back to Australia. Had I done the right thing by Su and myself? There were so many questions and so few answers at that time. I felt guilty about returning to the gay scene. I couldn't even admit to my family that Sacha was my partner; I told them he was just an old friend. The first thing I knew was that I wanted to help Mum over the loss of Dad and take her on a trip overseas, which was the absolute best move ever. When I look at the old videos of the trip I see that every scene emanates joy. It also enabled Mum to bond with Sach on a very deep level, so much so that Mum introduces him to everyone as her
son-in-law
!

Around the World with Mum and Sach

Off we went via Sydney, first to Hawaii where Mum fell in love with every aspect of the place - even the smells! We couldn't really afford to stay anywhere too grand and always shared the one bedroom with two double beds, but the laughs we had on that trip still make us smile today whenever we talk about aspects of the journey. We went to a Luau, which Mum loved, and even learnt the hula. She enjoyed every second of every day. The other day she stayed with Sach and me overnight after another hard night in hospital and Sach bought her some coconut ice cream. As soon as she tasted it she started reminiscing about the happy times she had in Hawaii. She loved piña coladas more than anything and often after a lovely night dining on the beach she would share some of her most private thoughts about her life - meeting Dad, having children, her greatest joys and saddest moments. So very revealing and some aspects heartbreaking!

Whilst in Hawaii we went to a New Year's Eve Concert performed by Connie Stevens and her two daughters by singer Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds' first husband. We were a little tipsy and on the way back to our hotel Mum was laughing so much she had to run at full pelt into a McDonald's bathroom to relieve herself - and she hates McDonalds! I was also very bold and cheekily said to Sach that if he really cared about me he would get a small tattoo on the top of his bottom crack. The tattoo was a tiny heart with ‘P&S' inside it. When retelling the incident these days I always say that I only used the initials because ‘P&S' could stand for Peter and Sach but if by any chance I returned to Su it could also stand for Peter and Su - of course I was totally jesting!

Then on to Los Angeles - where - because we arrived late at night stayed in a hotel near the airport. In the middle of the night there was big a fire in the kitchen, so we were all evacuated into the street in our underwear and some even in towels. Once we realised that no one was hurt we could not stop laughing. Just our luck! Disneyland was our next stop and it was everything we expected and a lot more. We arrived early and left very late, totally exhausted but just filled with the famous Happiest Kingdom in the World vibe. We did not miss any attraction and even came back two more times! We also visited Knott's Berry farm, where the following photo of Mum and Sacha was taken.

Next stop was Florida, where we checked in late again at our hotel, only to be told it had been flooded, so we were sent to another hotel a few miles away. A VERY basic hotel but once again we were able to see the funny side. One night I thought I was having a stroke - Mr Hypochondria - and found out that there was a doctor's surgery nearby. However, on arriving at the surgery we were told we had to pay hundreds of dollars up front before they would even take our details - and this was with insurance! My stroke immediately became a mild headache and I headed back to the hotel.

We then drove to St. Augustine, the oldest city in America, where we stayed in a beautiful old-world building similar to Tara in
Gone with the Wind
. I had never seen Mum so relaxed and totally involved in every aspect of the holiday, which made me very happy. It also helped cement even further the deep and permanent bond between her and Sach.

Then it was time to head home to Perth and a new life with a new - male - partner! We both found full- time work with BOCS Ticketing. I worked there for nineteen years and Sach for about fifteen. Not long after returning to Perth Mum experienced her first bout of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which was very aggressive. Sach also experienced a scare with prostate cancer, causing him to have a radical prostatectomy. They were such frightening times for the whole family. Mum recovered eventually after a hard battle, as did Sach, who returned to the work force. Through BOCS we now have a group of friends whose friendship we value hugely.

One of Sach's first jobs was doing wardrobe on the tour of the Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg, which was quite an experience. Sach said that the costumes reeked of body odour, so much so that the staff almost vomited and had to spray every costume with eucalyptus. Most of the male cast had shaved heads for their roles in the play, which was set in the middle of winter in Russia. However, many of them rushed to the local beaches in Perth and turned up at the theatre with severely sunburned bald heads, not quite the correct look for this period piece! Sach also noticed that when the company left the theatre after their last performance they took with them every tea bag, sugar bag and toilet roll in the theatre. Who would have thought that there was a shortage of such things in St. Petersburg?

Sach and I decided we needed a break to recuperate after his operation, so we flew to New Zealand and hired a campervan and drove from Auckland to Wellington and back, and had one of the best times of our lives! There was no television in the van, only radio, and we used to park by a local stream for the night where Sach would cook dinner and we would just unwind. One of the streams we parked beside - in a field that was actually called ‘
Hi-de-Hi'
- seemed to flow faster and faster during the night, so much so that I couldn't sleep at all. I woke up Sach because I was worried that a tsunami-type wave would come down the stream and wash us away! Poor Sach just rolled his eyes and went back to sleep. In Auckland we had our own personal natural spa at the door of our campervan, which we would slide into after we had eaten and relaxed with a glass of wine - or for me, a scotch and coke. New Zealand was beautiful and we fell in love with every aspect of the country. The only unusual incident was when we pulled into a petrol station high on a mountain on a lonely stretch of road to fill the tank. The proprietor and his wife looked like characters from the movie
Deliverance
- tough and a bit scary. We then drove up the mountain and after about fifteen minutes the van started to cough and splutter, so I coasted back down the hill to the petrol station, where I was told that I had mistakenly put in diesel fuel but that it floated on top of the petrol, so I was given a piece of tubing and ordered to ‘
suck it out'.
I wrapped my lips around the tubing and after much gagging I eventually got most of it out. Then the bloody proprietors had the nerve to resell the second-hand diesel I had just sucked up and charge us again for the correct fuel! They were too creepy to make me angry.

We returned to Perth and work only to find that Mum's cancer had returned, so chemo was the order of the day again. Sach had more time on his hands then, so he was able to take great care of Mum and she survived yet again. Poor Mum is totally invincible and the bravest person I have ever known - not like her son!

Our next venture was touring with Debbie Reynolds all over Australia and New Zealand - the greatest adventure ever and covered in my last book in depth. Here is an article written about how the dreams of an eleven-year-old boy came to fruition after he wrote to Debbie and then became friends with her.

The following article is from 2008, courtesy of Terry Larder.

‘A life-long fan, Princess Leia's Mum, and a show!

The alarm clock is set for 4.30am! The not-so-mellow tones of the clock blast the early morning silence and I rise from my slumber yawning all the way to the bathroom. Now running on auto-pilot, I slip the razor out of the drawer and jump under the shower, then it hit me... what the #@*#... it's a telephone interview, so why all the preparation? ‘I guess one must', I mutter out loud as I continue with the duties at hand. For this morning I would be talking to the adored, vivacious, ageless siren of stage and screen, Miss Debbie Reynolds.

To the strains of waking magpies, I dialled the number and waited... ‘Hello', came the response... ‘Hello, Debbie', stabbing my ear at the same time and adjusting the ear-plug microphone that popped out in the excitement of hearing her voice. ‘How are you?' she said in her typically warm Southern drawl.

So you're coming to Perth for a couple of one-off shows at His Majesty's, I said to get the ball rolling...

‘Yes, I'm so excited and I owe a lot to Peter and Sacha, it was all their idea, you know, they suggested it would be fantastic and ‘kinda' ironic that I've lived long enough to play both the leading lady and the Patsy Kelly role (Irene's mother).
I first opened Irene on Broadway in 1973 and now in 2008 I'll be playing the mum, won't that be fun!'

What is the one question you hate to be asked and why?

‘You know I don't mind answering questions, my life has been an open book since day one. Since 16, I have been in movies, theatre, plays, I've toured and really I've had a fabulous life of travel and doing different roles, so I don't have any objections to questions (hesitates) oh, one thing is always asked, Are you and Elizabeth (Taylor) still friends? And the answer is, yes, we are friends, probably no one believes it. We both laugh about what has happened to our lives and the past and the circumstances that lead up to it. Life goes on, you know!' (Eddie Fisher married Debbie Reynolds in 1955 and they divorced in 1959. Eddie Fisher left Debbie and their two children and ran off and married Elizabeth Taylor, a major scandal at that time).

‘My life has had its ups and downs just like everyone else, sure there were tough times, especially when you marry three men whose primary motivation was money!' she said.
(Her second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl, gambled away his fortune as well as Debbie's. At one particular low point she confessed to literally living in her car, a Cadillac).

Was there a common thread in their (husbands') personalities?

‘You know if I knew that answer I would marry again, I just think I have terrible taste in men and if there's a bad guy around, I'm ‘gonna' find him! (Laughs at length) I think it's something like the measles; I just have very poor taste in men. And my daughter (Carrie) seems to have contracted the same disease. I married a short boy singer; she married a short boy singer! (Paul Simon). I made ‘Singing in the Rain'; she made ‘Star Wars'!

My sources tell me that you've recently finished two shows on a Gay Cruise to Mexico?

‘Oh, I had a wonderful time, just wonderful! There were only 25 lesbian couples on board and the rest were all gay boys. They all secretly wanted my dresses, my feather boas, some not so secretly; they'd take it right off my body! Gay boys have such a great attitude to life and the cruise was a great success. I'd love to do another one.

Is the story true that Peter Keogh (co-producer of Irene) wrote you a fan letter at the age of 11 and your agreement to do Irene is in part due to his life-long admiration of your work and he's your number one fan?

“Yes, totally true. I still personally reply to all my fan mail today. (After getting his three-page letter, which by the way Peter still has, this sent the 11 year-old boy on a mission that he still continues today). ‘In fact when I did a tour in 2006, Peter presented me with all this material, recordings I didn't know I'd made, he had everything I'd ever done, every tape, every album, every show, movie or play.
I was amazed and I was truly flattered that half way around the world there was such an ardent fan, in fact with those old and rare recordings he gave me last year, I now use them to open my nightclub act.'