WHIMSICAL WALKER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20454, 4 January 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHIMSICAL WALKER.

ENGLAND'S OLDEST CLOWN.

TALES OF MANY YEARS AGO.

STORIES FROM A SICK BED.

England's oldest clown, Whimsical Walker, now nearly an octogenarian, has lately been a prisoner in his native city of Hull, in the grip of bronchitis; but he takes a lively interest in tho outer world, and as Christmas drew near, he found his heart before tho footlights of Pantomime. Tho revival of pantomime seern3 to cheer him, for it is a step toward the revival of tho Harlequinade, which he has been looking for during recent years. Mr. Walker's father, over eighty years ago, was manager for Cook's Circus, when it was in the old Queen's Theatre at Hull; and Walker pero wooed and won tho landlady of the March of Intellect, a few yards from the theatre, where Whimsical Walker was "born. He made his first appearance as a circus clown, 60 years ago, and was shaking Leeds with laughter as he strutted about the ring

of Adam's Circus, making a great reputation all over the county, and steadily graduating for Drury Lane. There Whimsical Walker succeeded a long line of clowns, beginning with Joe Grimaldi, in whose time pantomime was nearly all Harlequinade. Gradually tlie Harlequinade has been pushed aside, until it has almost disappeared. No longer does tho clown in the closing fairy scene bounce upon, the Stage, and. .with, his arms up to the elbows in his baggy pockets wish us all " A Happy New Year."

When a writer on the Yorkshire Post, last spent a quiet afternoon with Walker, talking about famous clowns and " gorgeous " pantomimes, he said that Clement Scott, of tho Daily Telegraph, once told him that the Harlequinade was doomed. The prophecy came true, but Walker would never believe it. " The Harlequinade," ho said " consisting of clown, pantaloon, harlequin and columbine must l)e a clever group; and as for my particular business, it needs an artist to steal a. string of sausages in the right way, to sit lightly upon the baby in the pram, or to pick" up a red-hot poker by tho wrong end." When Walker was asked what part.of his business was most appreciated, lie plumped for the Barber's Shop. " But." ho added, " what a scream was our Quiet lodgings ! Pure gantomime —dumb show —every bit of it. My ' Quiet Lodgings '

never failed and never palled. The winking candles, tho warming-pan pushed under tho Pantaloon, the two foot rat crawling over the bed, tho procession of black-bottles, and the massacre of a caterwauling crowd of cats! Just think of it!

" My Barber's Shop never failed to cxcito shrieks of laughter. It had a grand run. Tho lathering of the gent, in tho chair, tho disappearing bib, the three-foot razor,, tho lovely lather, and the way I accidentally sliced off the gentleman s head and provided him with another from tho board of plaster images carried by a passing Italian, convulsed tho kiddies.

Thus the dear old fellow went on, with eves alight and a broad captivating smile. But fancy " Whimsey " as Hamlet! 110 said ho played a potted version arranged by Arthur Sturgess tor Augustus Harris, and the show was given several times a day in Richardson s Theatre at the Olympia Revels. Tho title of tho burlesque was " Hamlet in a Hurry." " It, was my business," said Walker, "to pull out'my watch now and then with a profound apology and skip the speeches, through lack of time, so \vc played 'Hamlet' in half-an-houv! To seo' my podgy face as tho prince was a scream, but you ought to have soon an old Scotsman'we had playing the ghost, especially when be turned to me and said : ' Hamlet'' yo ken, I'm ycr faither's ghost!' "