The 6th meeting of Mytholmroyd Historical Society’s Winter programme of lectures was held as is usual in St Michael’s Church Hall on Friday 10th February 2023. The speaker was Peter Alexander who spoke about his various acting career under the title “ Reminiscences of an old actor” Peter has appeared in numerous roles and in Emmerdale, Heartbeat and All Creatures Great and Small.
As it was, I was not able to attend as I was abroad, so I am indebted to Stuart Greenwood of the Society who kindly made for me some notes of his talk which I understand was entertaining and enthusiastically enjoyed by an audience of around fifty members.
Peter stated that he wasn’t used to speaking about himself but would try his best to tell the audience about his fifty years as an actor. His father did not want him to go to Drama School but he did and never looked back. A friend had told him – “If you really want to do it then go for it”.
After Boarding School and Drama School he gained his Equity Card and later became involved in Musicals, Plays, Shakespeare and mentioned the Theatre Royal Northampton, Glyndebourne National Opera saying it was a solid job allowing him an early mortgage and marriage.
After many years in the south he moved north to the Manchester/ Oldham area for pantomime, commercial advertising, comedy, and television programmes such as those mentioned earlier and Coronation Street enjoying his jobs and not in it just for the money. He did two years touring, playing three musical instruments including the saxophone and drums and playing to up to 1500 audiences in many theatres around the country. He mentioned this sounded a lot but no where the size of television audiences and TV “soaps”. Not everything went smoothly. He once volunteered for a part as a motor cyclist but found he could not start the bike. They gave him an assistant who was always called upon to start it.
He never had a part to ride a horse.
Peter enjoyed his varied life as an actor and later became became a director and producer and now keeps busy as a magistrate and working with children.
The next monthly meeting is on Friday 14th April and the Speaker is Michael Peel, who will show us his film of Hebden Bridge, a Victorian Centre. It will be held as usual in St Michael’s Church Hall, Church Street, off New Road, Mytholmroyd at 7.30pm.
All welcome. Non member visitors £5.00
Reminder that any outstanding annual subs of £15.00, must be paid.
THE ANNUAL TRIP IS CANCELLED due to insufficient numbers.
Mike Darke. Press Officer
