Having somehow been drawn into surfing the net in the wee sma' hours, I happened upon your fascinating site appropos the Empire Theatre where most of Glasgow's serious courting couples used to attend on Saturday evenings.

 

My small claim to fame, as it were, was being entered into the Miss Annie Laurie competition by my Mother who, because I was a professional dancer, knew I would simply adore the chance to actually tread the boards of the great Empire Theatre. And since I was recovering from a bout of bronchitis, she knew the chance of meeting Carol Levis would be a great incentive to getting me up and about again.

 

The amazing thing was, the judging was entirely by the audience and my Mother had bought me a gorgeous blue evening gown for the first heat. I won. But only because my Mother reckoned correctly, it would be a Rangers audience.

 

I won the final heat, too. This time in a lilac dress and the most thrilling part of the entire event was feeling the warmth and magic which came over the footlights as we all basked in the applause of the packed theatre.

 

My prize? A trip to New York to appear on TV - a very big deal back in the 1950's. Carol Levis was a perfect gentleman, involved at that time with the gorgeous Violet Pretty who became a film star. But I had to fly over there, aged seventeen, all alone. Luckily the British Travel Association provided a chaperone and I appeared on American TV with Eddie Fisher, Tex and Jynx Falkenberg, and on radio with Guy Lombardo and also the fabulous Dorsey Brothers.

 

I feel sad that the Empire is no longer there, each time I return to Glasgow. But in my imagination, it always will be there. Why, my late Mother actually went on stage to conduct a famous big band (a brave member of the audience was invited up on stage). The tune? Unforgettable. And that, Bob Bain has what you have made this site.

Beryl Beattie

EDDIE FISHER