Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Welsh Wizard - or Dirty Old Man?

Letter from today's Telegraph, from John Holland of Mellor, Cheshire.

Dear Sir,
My grandmother, Maggie Rees, who died in 1981 aged 103 was born in Caernarvon. Her first job was as an assistant to a photographer, where she worked behind the counter, and escorted clients up the narrow stairs to the studio.

A regular customer was David Lloyd George, then MP for Caernarvon, who had his portraits taken. On her first encounter with him, Maggie found him to be a most charming, civil and talkative man, polite in the extreme.

When the photographer summoned Maggie to bring up his client, she opened the narrow door and indicated to the future Prime Minister to lead the way. "No, no, my dear," he said, "after you". She thanked him and proceeded to mount the stairs, whereupon the Honourable Member for Caernarvon assisted her from behind.

On subsequent visits, Maggie always insisted that he went first.

This will not have come as any surprise to those who have read Ffion Hague's splendid book about the women in Lloyd George's life, The Pain and The Privilege.

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