Nancy Spain - Revision history

LGBT-HP: Fix bare tag: MW 1.45.1 Cite requires self-closing

2026-07-10T13:09:24Z

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	Based on the Wikipedia article of the same name.		Based on the Wikipedia article of the same name.
	<references>		<references/>

	[[Category:Journalists]]		[[Category:Journalists]]

Ross Burgess: /* Private life */

2016-05-02T11:19:30Z

Private life

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	Often in the news, and tempted to marry to seem "respectable" - her name was linked with that of [[Gilbert Harding]] - she lived openly with the editor of ''She'', [[Joan Werner Laurie]] (Jonny), and was a friend of the famous, including [[Noël Coward]] and Marlene Dietrich. She and Joan were regulars at the [[Gateways]] club in [[Chelsea]], and were widely known to be lesbians.<ref name="ftc2ts">Jill Gardiner, ''From The Closet to the Screen: Women of the Gateways 1945-85'' isbn=0-86358-427-6 Pandora, 2003</ref> Nancy and Joan lived in an extended household with the rally driver [[Sheila van Damm]], Joan's son Nicholas (born 1946), and Nancy's son Thomas (born in 1952 after an affair with Philip Youngman Carter, husband of Margery Allingham; for the sake of propriety, Thomas was described as Joan's youngest son).		Often in the news, and tempted to marry to seem "respectable" - her name was linked with that of [[Gilbert Harding]] - she lived openly with the editor of ''She'', [[Joan Werner Laurie]] (Jonny), and was a friend of the famous, including [[Noël Coward]] and Marlene Dietrich. She and Joan were regulars at the [[Gateways]] club in [[Chelsea]], and were widely known to be lesbians.<ref name="ftc2ts">Jill Gardiner, ''From The Closet to the Screen: Women of the Gateways 1945-85'' isbn=0-86358-427-6 Pandora, 2003</ref> Nancy and Joan lived in an extended household with the rally driver [[Sheila van Damm]], Joan's son Nicholas (born 1946), and Nancy's son Thomas (born in 1952 after an affair with Philip Youngman Carter, husband of Margery Allingham; for the sake of propriety, Thomas was described as Joan's youngest son).

	She died, with Joan and four others, when the Piper Apache aeroplane crashed near Aintree racecourse on her way to commentate on the 1964 Grand National. She was cremated with Joan at Golders Green Crematorium, London, and her ashes were put in the family grave in [[Horsley]]~~, Northumberland~~.		She died, with Joan and four others, when the Piper Apache aeroplane crashed near Aintree racecourse on her way to commentate on the 1964 Grand National. She was cremated with Joan at Golders Green Crematorium, London, and her ashes were put in the family grave in [[Horsley, Northumberland]].

	She left one son - publicly unacknowledged during her lifetime - Tom Carter, but her will left her estate to Joan (who was 3 years younger, and so assumed for legal purposes to die after her). Joan's son Nicolas inherited the joint estates, and Nancy's son inherited nothing. Noël Coward summed up in his diary: "It is cruel that all that gaiety, intelligence and vitality should be snuffed out when so many bores and horrors are left living."		She left one son - publicly unacknowledged during her lifetime - Tom Carter, but her will left her estate to Joan (who was 3 years younger, and so assumed for legal purposes to die after her). Joan's son Nicolas inherited the joint estates, and Nancy's son inherited nothing. Noël Coward summed up in his diary: "It is cruel that all that gaiety, intelligence and vitality should be snuffed out when so many bores and horrors are left living."

Ross Burgess: /* Private life */

2016-05-02T11:10:18Z

Private life

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:10, 2 May 2016
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	Often in the news, and tempted to marry to seem "respectable" - her name was linked with that of [[Gilbert Harding]] - she lived openly with the editor of ''She'', [[Joan Werner Laurie]] (Jonny), and was a friend of the famous, including [[Noël Coward]] and Marlene Dietrich. She and Joan were regulars at the [[Gateways]] club in [[Chelsea]], and were widely known to be lesbians.<ref name="ftc2ts">Jill Gardiner, ''From The Closet to the Screen: Women of the Gateways 1945-85'' isbn=0-86358-427-6 Pandora, 2003</ref> Nancy and Joan lived in an extended household with the rally driver [[Sheila van Damm]], Joan's son Nicholas (born 1946), and Nancy's son Thomas (born in 1952 after an affair with Philip Youngman Carter, husband of Margery Allingham; for the sake of propriety, Thomas was described as Joan's youngest son).		Often in the news, and tempted to marry to seem "respectable" - her name was linked with that of [[Gilbert Harding]] - she lived openly with the editor of ''She'', [[Joan Werner Laurie]] (Jonny), and was a friend of the famous, including [[Noël Coward]] and Marlene Dietrich. She and Joan were regulars at the [[Gateways]] club in [[Chelsea]], and were widely known to be lesbians.<ref name="ftc2ts">Jill Gardiner, ''From The Closet to the Screen: Women of the Gateways 1945-85'' isbn=0-86358-427-6 Pandora, 2003</ref> Nancy and Joan lived in an extended household with the rally driver [[Sheila van Damm]], Joan's son Nicholas (born 1946), and Nancy's son Thomas (born in 1952 after an affair with Philip Youngman Carter, husband of Margery Allingham; for the sake of propriety, Thomas was described as Joan's youngest son).

	She died, with Joan and four others, when the Piper Apache aeroplane crashed near Aintree racecourse on her way to commentate on the 1964 Grand National. She was cremated with Joan at Golders Green Crematorium, London, and her ashes were put in the family grave in Horsley, Northumberland.		She died, with Joan and four others, when the Piper Apache aeroplane crashed near Aintree racecourse on her way to commentate on the 1964 Grand National. She was cremated with Joan at Golders Green Crematorium, London, and her ashes were put in the family grave in [[Horsley]], Northumberland.

	She left one son - publicly unacknowledged during her lifetime - Tom Carter, but her will left her estate to Joan (who was 3 years younger, and so assumed for legal purposes to die after her). Joan's son Nicolas inherited the joint estates, and Nancy's son inherited nothing. Noël Coward summed up in his diary: "It is cruel that all that gaiety, intelligence and vitality should be snuffed out when so many bores and horrors are left living."		She left one son - publicly unacknowledged during her lifetime - Tom Carter, but her will left her estate to Joan (who was 3 years younger, and so assumed for legal purposes to die after her). Joan's son Nicolas inherited the joint estates, and Nancy's son inherited nothing. Noël Coward summed up in his diary: "It is cruel that all that gaiety, intelligence and vitality should be snuffed out when so many bores and horrors are left living."

Ross Burgess at 10:49, 7 January 2014

2014-01-07T10:49:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:49, 7 January 2014
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	'''Nancy Spain''' ('''Nancy Brooker Spain''', 1917–1964) was a broadcaster and journalist.		[[File:NancySpain.jpg\|thumb\|Nancy Spain]]'''Nancy Spain''' ('''Nancy Brooker Spain''', 1917–1964) was a broadcaster and journalist.

	==Early life==		==Early life==
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	[[Category:Writers]]		[[Category:Writers]]
	[[Category:1964 deaths]]		[[Category:1964 deaths]]
			[[Category:1917 births]]

Ross Burgess at 08:46, 19 November 2013

2013-11-19T08:46:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:46, 19 November 2013
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	==Early life==		==Early life==

	Nancy Spain was born in [[Jesmond]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60418 Rose Collis, "Spain, Nancy Brooker (1917–1964)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2011</ref> She went to [[Roedean]] ~~School~~ from 1913 to 1935, where she began wearing "mannish" clothes, and developed the speaking voice which stood her in such good stead in her eventual media career. She played lacrosse for Northumberland and Durham, and hockey for the North of England, as well as playing tennis and cricket. She also acted on BBC radio, where she took over the star parts vacated by Esther McCracken. She was a sports reporter for the ''Newcastle Journal'', and had a love affair with local sportwoman [[Winifrid Sargeant]]. During the war, Nancy served in the WRNS on Tyneside, a period covered in her book ''Thank you, Nelson'' (1945).		Nancy Spain was born in [[Jesmond]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60418 Rose Collis, "Spain, Nancy Brooker (1917–1964)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2011</ref> She went to [[Roedean School]] from 1913 to 1935, where she began wearing "mannish" clothes, and developed the speaking voice which stood her in such good stead in her eventual media career. She played lacrosse for Northumberland and Durham, and hockey for the North of England, as well as playing tennis and cricket. She also acted on BBC radio, where she took over the star parts vacated by Esther McCracken. She was a sports reporter for the ''Newcastle Journal'', and had a love affair with local sportwoman [[Winifrid Sargeant]]. During the war, Nancy served in the WRNS on Tyneside, a period covered in her book ''Thank you, Nelson'' (1945).

	==Post-war career==		==Post-war career==

Ross Burgess: /* References */

2013-11-02T06:11:10Z

References

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:11, 2 November 2013
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	[[Category:TV presenters]]		[[Category:TV presenters]]
	[[Category:Writers]]		[[Category:Writers]]
			[[Category:1964 deaths]]

Ross Burgess: /* Further reading */

2013-08-06T12:34:30Z

Ross Burgess at 12:18, 6 August 2013

2013-08-06T12:18:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:18, 6 August 2013
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	==Early life==		==Early life==

	Nancy Spain was born in [[Jesmond]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60418 Rose Collis, "Spain, Nancy Brooker (1917–1964)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2011</ref> She went to [[Roedean]] School) from 1913 to 1935, where she began wearing "mannish" clothes, and developed the speaking voice which stood her in such good stead in her eventual media career. She played lacrosse for Northumberland and Durham, and hockey for the North of England, as well as playing tennis and cricket. She also acted on BBC radio, where she took over the star parts vacated by Esther McCracken. She was a sports reporter for the ''Newcastle Journal'', and had a love affair with local sportwoman [[Winifrid Sargeant]]. During the war, Nancy served in the WRNS on Tyneside, a period covered in her book ''Thank you, Nelson'' (1945).		Nancy Spain was born in [[Jesmond]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60418 Rose Collis, "Spain, Nancy Brooker (1917–1964)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2011</ref> She went to [[Roedean]] School from 1913 to 1935, where she began wearing "mannish" clothes, and developed the speaking voice which stood her in such good stead in her eventual media career. She played lacrosse for Northumberland and Durham, and hockey for the North of England, as well as playing tennis and cricket. She also acted on BBC radio, where she took over the star parts vacated by Esther McCracken. She was a sports reporter for the ''Newcastle Journal'', and had a love affair with local sportwoman [[Winifrid Sargeant]]. During the war, Nancy served in the WRNS on Tyneside, a period covered in her book ''Thank you, Nelson'' (1945).

	==Post-war career==		==Post-war career==
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	==References==		==References==

	Based on a Wikipedia article:		Based on the Wikipedia article of the same name.
	<references>		<references>

			[[Category:Journalists]]
			[[Category:Radio presenters]]
			[[Category:TV presenters]]
			[[Category:Writers]]

Ross Burgess: /* Post-war career */

2013-08-06T11:58:01Z

Post-war career

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	Spain's scatty style of column-writing caused the Daily Express to be sued successfully for libel - twice - by [[Evelyn Waugh]].<ref>Christopher Sykes, ''Evelyn Waugh: a biography''. Collins, 1975. ISBN 0-00-211202-7</ref>		Spain's scatty style of column-writing caused the Daily Express to be sued successfully for libel - twice - by [[Evelyn Waugh]].<ref>Christopher Sykes, ''Evelyn Waugh: a biography''. Collins, 1975. ISBN 0-00-211202-7</ref>

	As well as her books of memoirs, including ''Why I'm Not a Millionaire'' (1956), Nancy wrote a biography in 1948 of her relative Mrs Beeton, and a series of detective novels.<ref>Patricia Craig and Mary Cadogan, ''The Lady Investigates'', Oxford (1981) ISBN 0-19-281938-0 p.109</ref> ~~Rose Collis wrote a posthumous biography of the broadcaster and journalist in 1997.~~		As well as her books of memoirs, including ''Why I'm Not a Millionaire'' (1956), Nancy wrote a biography in 1948 of her relative Mrs Beeton, and a series of detective novels.<ref>Patricia Craig and Mary Cadogan, ''The Lady Investigates'', Oxford (1981) ISBN 0-19-281938-0 p.109</ref>

	==Private life==		==Private life==

Ross Burgess: /* Post-war career */

2013-08-06T11:57:35Z

Post-war career

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	==Post-war career==		==Post-war career==

	After the war, she published several books, including a series of detective novels set at a girls school, "~~Radcliffe~~ Hall" (based on Rodean, but clearly intended to be reminiscent of the lesbian author [[Radclyffe Hall]])<ref>http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=7630 ''Mystery File'', "Two by NANCY SPAIN – Reviewed by Curt Evans"</ref>. She became a star columnist for the ''Daily Express'', ''She'' and the ''News of the World'' in the 1950s and 1960s and made many radio broadcasts, particularly on ''Woman's Hour'' and ''My Word!'' She later appeared as a panellist on BBC TV's record review programme ''Juke Box Jury'' and the panel game ''What's My Line?''. In 1962 she performed "The Blaydon Races", the Victorian Tyneside song, at London's Marquee Club with Alexis Korner and Blues Incorporated. A recording of the latter was published on the album R&B from the Marquee.		After the war, she published several books, including a series of detective novels set at a girls school, "Radcliff Hall" (based on Rodean, but clearly intended to be reminiscent of the lesbian author [[Radclyffe Hall]])<ref>http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=7630 ''Mystery File'', "Two by NANCY SPAIN – Reviewed by Curt Evans"</ref>. She became a star columnist for the ''Daily Express'', ''She'' and the ''News of the World'' in the 1950s and 1960s and made many radio broadcasts, particularly on ''Woman's Hour'' and ''My Word!'' She later appeared as a panellist on BBC TV's record review programme ''Juke Box Jury'' and the panel game ''What's My Line?''. In 1962 she performed "The Blaydon Races", the Victorian Tyneside song, at London's Marquee Club with Alexis Korner and Blues Incorporated. A recording of the latter was published on the album R&B from the Marquee.

	Spain's scatty style of column-writing caused the Daily Express to be sued successfully for libel - twice - by [[Evelyn Waugh]].<ref>Christopher Sykes, ''Evelyn Waugh: a biography''. Collins, 1975. ISBN 0-00-211202-7</ref>		Spain's scatty style of column-writing caused the Daily Express to be sued successfully for libel - twice - by [[Evelyn Waugh]].<ref>Christopher Sykes, ''Evelyn Waugh: a biography''. Collins, 1975. ISBN 0-00-211202-7</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:34, 6 August 2013
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	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
	*Rose Collis, ''Trouser-Wearing Character: The Life and Times of Nancy Spain'', London: Cassell, ISBN 0-304-32879-0		*Rose Collis, ''Trouser-Wearing Character: The Life and Times of Nancy Spain'', London: Cassell, ISBN 0-304-32879-0
			*http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-lesbian-vanishes-as-paper-does-when-it-burns-in-the-fire-1583687.html Suzi Feay, "The lesbian vanishes, as paper does when it burns in the fire". ''The Independent'' 26 November 1995

	==References==		==References==