on the week commencing 8th Feb.1932. The manager

Meredyth Tayler tells us:

Billy Curtis married my great Aunt Bessie Cousins. They settled in California. They had a daughter called Esther/Estelle, Esta-

His Hebrew was Lazarus and his last name was Julius, which became Curtis when his family came over from the old country (they were probably from the same region that Grand-dad Coussins was from.  He was #9 of 10, born in Edinburgh, right below Arthur's Seat, which was the Jewish ghetto at the time.  He was born July 21st 1896 or 7, and died in February 1981.  He would have been 89 yrs old.  He left home at a very early age, probably 13 at most, and began traveling Great Britain and the World---he was in South Africa as a very young man himself.  He also came to America as well, but return home at some point, met and married Bessie.  Esta and I miss him very much.  He babysat me a lot when I was very young.  I loved hanging-out with my grand-dad---he was great at telling stories.  He would put me on his lap and would always begin by saying "and now voyager..............." He loved to cook.  He made the best Latkies and turkey vegetable soup I've ever eaten.  To this day I can't eat a Latkie without comparing it to my Grand-dad's. 

I'm not sure but I think my Grand-father was already in California at the time when television was just getting off the ground (1952/3), and he never mentioned any offers of a T.V. show to my mother---but it would have been wonderful to have had Billy on T.V. ................BTY, Billy was "Leslie William or William Leslie Curtis, depending on the phase of the moon.

Lazarus Julius (possibly Barnstein) In the days when people came to the United Kingdom and America , if the immigration officers of that time did not understand the last name they either dropped it or changed it to one that they could understand. (Esta)

on the week commencing 8th Feb.1932. The manager

Meredyth Tayler tells us:

Billy Curtis married my great Aunt Bessie Cousins. They settled in California. They had a daughter called Esther/Estelle, Esta-

His Hebrew was Lazarus and his last name was Julius, which became Curtis when his family came over from the old country (they were probably from the same region that Grand-dad Coussins was from.  He was #9 of 10, born in Edinburgh, right below Arthur's Seat, which was the Jewish ghetto at the time.  He was born July 21st 1896 or 7, and died in February 1981.  He would have been 89 yrs old.  He left home at a very early age, probably 13 at most, and began traveling Great Britain and the World---he was in South Africa as a very young man himself.  He also came to America as well, but return home at some point, met and married Bessie.  Esta and I miss him very much.  He babysat me a lot when I was very young.  I loved hanging-out with my grand-dad---he was great at telling stories.  He would put me on his lap and would always begin by saying "and now voyager..............." He loved to cook.  He made the best Latkies and turkey vegetable soup I've ever eaten.  To this day I can't eat a Latkie without comparing it to my Grand-dad's. 

I'm not sure but I think my Grand-father was already in California at the time when television was just getting off the ground (1952/3), and he never mentioned any offers of a T.V. show to my mother---but it would have been wonderful to have had Billy on T.V. ................BTY, Billy was "Leslie William or William Leslie Curtis, depending on the phase of the moon.

Lazarus Julius (possibly Barnstein) In the days when people came to the United Kingdom and America , if the immigration officers of that time did not understand the last name they either dropped it or changed it to one that they could understand. (Esta)

if you have any news, photographs or information please email Craig

21 st January 2008

Hi Craig, Philip and Meredyth

One easy one.  My mother and father never lived in Leeds .  My mother was a Brighton girl (Hove actually!), but did spend some time in Glasgow with Daddy (Harold of course) shortly after they were married.  This was in the old days when you couldn’t see the hills behind the city and everything closed on Sunday.  My mother counted the months, days and hours she spent there. So you can see she didn’t particularly relish it or the north of England either.  She told me that once when in a bar with my father and noticing that the locals were just drinking steadily she asked them why no darts? ‘Och lady’ they said, ‘if we had darts we’d be sticking them in each other!’.  Times have changed now, of course, and I am very fond of Glasgow .  Spent many happy child hood days there.   By the way I have quite a few holiday stories that involve you in Southwick Craig!  I also distinctly remember your Dad reading a letter that you sent home from South Africa saying you now knew the difference between a filet mignon and a grilled steak.  As you put it, ‘about $30!’.

 Actually Philip, re the name, it could be that this was the case, but the name Shai is actually a name in its own right.  I have friends (Jewish ones of course) whose kids are called Shai.  It is Hebrew or Aramaic (an older language than Hebrew which, in biblical terms was comparatively recent) for gift.  By the way, the mourners prayer is all in Aramaic though using Hebrew characters.

 Meredyth my father talked very fondly about his Uncle Billy and how much he liked him.  So I knew a bit about him too. There is a famous story about a UK TV exec in the very early days of TV (pre or post war not sure) approaching Uncle Billy to do a TV show of his act (I think it was his Dame act as I recall the story Daddy told me), but he turned him down flat.  As he said ‘what and use up all my material in one performance.’  This was a major issue for many of the performers in those days as the act would be used many times in many theatres around the country.  With much less mobility and no mass media this was, of course, very possible. 

 Finally on Papa – he claimed to me he was also a an acrobatic comedian (as was Chaplain). This means, I think that he did a lot of acrobatic falling over, a bit like the Chaplain drunk act (see the film Chaplain with Robert Downey Jnr. for an example).  Being war blind killed this opportunity for him after returning home.  He still said though, that the nigh patrol that blinded him saved his life.  As this was the day before the battle of the Somme you can see why he thought this.

 Will write more later.  Need to go now and listen to my little one play the piano (started late and am the baby here! So I have an 11 year old son and 6 – shortly this week to be 7 – year  old daughter.

 Lovely to talk with you all.  We should try a skype call Criag!

 Fondest best wishes

 Ricky