Monday, August 02, 2010

Whatever happened to Penelope Tree?


Crown half done, concussion gone, it's back to business. So, let's talk about Twiggy.

We may have done this before, so I do apologise, but I do think she's endlessly fascinating. And she's aged so well. I happened to chance upon a programme last night I'd not normally have bothered with. It was the first in a series in which professional irritant Alan Titchmarsh goes on a walk with a famous person, kicking off with Twiggy in Southwold.

The interesting thing about it was though, that it wasn't really about the walk but about Twiggy herself. Archive footage illustrated her rise to fame, with her and Alan talking about all the things she's achieved over her long and illustrious career. It was totally gripping. Imagine being such a Sixties icon. She said people often ask her what it was like to be in the Sixites, and she quite rightly said that she wasn't aware of being in the Sixties as it was just life back then. Lucky her.

She's managed to keep going all these years by trying so many different things, from singing (her song Please Get My Name Right was my old friend Jim's favourite song of all time. Not known for his discernment he also counted Air Supply's All Out Of Love in his Top Five), acting (I've not seen The Boyfriend, but it sparked a brief 1920s craze at the time, I'm told), TV presenting (This Morning wasn't a success), Broadway (good for her) and back to modelling again. I wonder if also she's quite easy to work with.

For such an icon she could be a nightmare, but she seems perfectly normal. And according to people I know who've had the pleasure, she is. So many tales to tell, she really should capitalise on it more. She's got such an insight into the Swinging Sixties, no one else comes close. You never hear a peep out of Jean Shrimpton do you?

Great name too. I remember going to a play of my cousin's in the local village hall when I must have been under five, so it was the Sixties. An old woman came on and was asked her name. 'Twiggy!', she replied. I thought that was hilarious. I still find it amusing now. She tried Twiggy Lawson for a bit but there's really no need for that. She's one of the few who are identifiable by their single name. You don't see Lulu calling herself Lulu Frieda or Lulu Lawrie or whatever surname she currently officially has.

Of course, she's a fox. She's still as natural and beautiful today as she's always been, if not more so.

I'll stop now.

3 comments:

Kolley Kibber said...

I love Twiggy. I was absolutely fascinated by her as a small child, encouraged in this by my older sisters (already in their teens and twenties by the time I was born.). I think I half-believed that she WAS one of my Big Sisters. And I'm pleased by the fact that I've never heard anything bad about her. She must have been an exceptionally well-adjusted young woman to cope with that level of fame.

Jon Peake said...

These days she'd be in rehab before you can say knife.

Kolley Kibber said...

And be under the knife before you can say 'rehab'.

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