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Home <> Lifestory Library <> Explore By Location <> <> <> The Wisdom Of Working For Norman




  Contributor: Margaret SkeetView/Add comments



When Mrs Kathleen Skeet embarked on her working life she had little idea of how much she was to enjoy her work and meet so many famous people. In 1957 she was a 27-year-old nanny to Norman Wisdom's two children, Nick and Jackie. They were then four and two and a half.

Kathleen takes up the story:- The first week Norman Wisdom drove Nick and myself to the London Palladium to see him in pantomime which was 'Aladdin'. I said to him 'I can't believe this is me sitting next to you and you are driving me to the Palladium. He said how did I think he felt, he was driving to the Palladium and it was his name in lights.

We stood with him while he signed all the autographs and was in the Star Dressing Room when all the fans filed in. I took my mother to see him and she said she had never enjoyed a panto so much.

His wife, Mrs. Freda Wisdom, was friends with Freddy Mills' wife, also Frankie Vaughn's wife, Harry Secombe's too. I had to phone Freddy Mills' wife to give her a message. When I asked her son if she was home he shouted out 'Dad is Mum in?' Freddy Mills shouted out 'No, she ain't!'

When I worked for them they were living in Arkley, Barnet, in Greater London. I took the children on the train (first class) to stay with Mrs. Wisdom's mother who kept a Boarding House at Southbourne near Bournemouth for five weeks while they moved to West Chiltington in West Sussex.

I had always wanted to work in London and as my home was in Sussex I reluctantly left and went to another lovely job in Kensington, with Mr and Mrs Basil Kelly. Their three children were Roseamund, Natasha and Ralph.

During the five years I was there I saw Uri Gagarin being driven away from the Russian Embassy. Just as the car was about to reach us Natasha let go of my hand and ran in front of the car. The car stopped as I shouted out 'Natasha', and Uri Gagarin gave me such a lovely smile.

I became friends with Jennifer Lowther who, at one time, was Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Elizabeth, our present queen. Whenever her Nanny had a day off she would bring her baby into Kensington Gardens, where we went every afternoon, and she would call out 'Kathleen, over here.'

Mrs. Kelly, who I worked for, was Australian and such a lovely lady. There was no snobbery with her or her husband. All their friends were the same, just like the Wisdoms.

I took the children to Lady Eden's School (Sir Timothy Eden's Widow, brother of Anthony Eden), and met Judy Garland who also took her little boy there. His surname was Luft. I went to nearly all the large hotels in London. Mrs. Kelly paid for us. She came too sometimes.

I remember getting one ticket for a tombola and won a signed copy of Frankie Vaughan's 'Green Door'! They were all in aid of children's charities.

Mrs. Kelly said to me one night, 'Kathleen get yourself ready I have booked you a seat for 'My Fair Lady' at Drury Lane.' I had the children in the bath at the time, so she volunteered, 'We'll see to them.'

I also took the children to the United Arab Republic Embassy, which had one long table with a large picture of Colonel Nasser over the centre.

I have such lovely memories of the Wisdoms and the Kellys.

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