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1st January 2022, 10:44 PM
#1
27th December 2021 APRIL ASHLEY,MBE--RIP.
Born 29th April 1935 as George Jamieson in Liverpool
Former Model,Transgender Rights Activist, Restaurant Hostess,Socialite. Former Merchant Seaman 1951-52.
R569455 JAMIESON G 29/04/1935 LIVERPOOL
Recorded in The National Archives Kew.
Died 27th December 2021 in London.Aged 86 years.
Served in training ship Vindicatrix in 1951.Sailed in Furness Withy Company's Pacific Fortune 1952. Later.Repatriated DBS ex USA on ss America.
Her eventful,intriguing life story is recounted in April Ashley's Odyssey,freely available on the web.LINK. Chapter 2 in particular tells of her life at sea as a young boy to man,after growing up in Liverpool. Her two suicide attempts and her association and gratitude to former flatsharer and ex-seafarer John Prescott is also mentioned in later chapters.
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1st January 2022, 11:53 PM
#2
Re: 27th December 2021 APRIL ASHLEY,MBE--RIP.
Indeed very Interesting Graham, and well worth the read
Thank you.
Cheers
Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website
R697530
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2nd January 2022, 12:49 AM
#3
Re: 27th December 2021 APRIL ASHLEY,MBE--RIP.
Haven’t read it fully Graham yet, but what have reminds me of a chief steward I sailed with in Think it was John I Jacobs a Reggie Asplin who was a friend of Danny La Rue . Both had been officers batsmen during the war , and after the war had both been in a show at Newcastle Empire theatre called Soldiers in Skirts. He showed me photographs of the same which would even of had Bougie street afire. I noticed in Reggie’s discharge book he had altered his D.O.B by at least 10 years. The only one in the catering dept. not of the same tendency’s as himself was the chief cook who used to come up to my cabin at 2000 when I came off watch , to have a beer and to keep out of the way of them all getting dressed up , as he said he would go bonkers if he didn’t get away from the atmosphere. However I must say Reggie and his staff caused no bother on the ship and were accepted as equals as long as they didn’t try to convert people to their way of thinking . And they never did. Other ships might have been different , but that team were very good. Cheers JS
PS trying to think of the Cooks surname as Cappy May have known him , his first name was Albert , and as chance would have It sailed with his brother who was ch. eng. with SML in the North Sea years later. So others may know him as well. The brothers were both from South Shields . JS
Last edited by j.sabourn; 2nd January 2022 at 12:59 AM.
Reason: T
R575129
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2nd January 2022, 08:01 AM
#4
Re: 27th December 2021 APRIL ASHLEY,MBE--RIP.
#3 Have asked Brian at various times if any relation , but he has said he isn"t so no need to ask him. JS
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2nd January 2022, 08:43 AM
#5
Re: 27th December 2021 APRIL ASHLEY,MBE--RIP.
dont know the brothers john ...we had 2 proper dresss up gays in shields in the 50s and 60s .....one dyed blond hair called debbie never bothered anyone and one called surname of prendergast ....he or she was no prob but died of alcohol ism in later years .....sure there was others but these guys had the dresses......etc.....prendergast was well liked a humerous person would certainly get the pub laughing at his turns of phrase.....cappy
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