by Peter Keogh
London was nothing like I expected. My dreams had always been of all things American but being in glorious London I was able to start to appreciate the many charms of this great city. The wonderful aromas of Chinatown, the buzz of Piccadilly and Oxford Circuses, the magnificent theatres of which there were just so many, but most of all the people who lived there. I will never ever forget the kindness and hospitality shown to this naïve Aussie, long before I had any association with Su Pollard. Everywhere I went from working in a theatre to a drink in a local bar I made new pals. Some of those dear pals I have reconnected with through Facebook, which delights me including the aforementioned Ian Howells - if they read this they will know who they are. Mind you, some of those pals were probably not as genteel as one would have wished. One friend from work took me to a tiny little club in Soho, which seated about twenty persons and had a very small platform in the front. We sat in the back row right near the exit during lunch hour from work. Lights dimmed and suddenly a male dancer appeared on the platform and started to slowly strip, encouraged by money stuck into his G-string as he danced up the aisle and returned to the stage. He then removed his attire and slowly gyrated down the aisle again, allowing anyone on the aisle to have a quick ‘feel ‘or even a bit more! To say I was shocked would be an understatement, especially because we saw a person in the audience we both knew casually and who was VERY well known. We took off like two naughty schoolboys!
I believe that my beloved Madame Jojo’s, where Su and I spent many happy hours, has recently closed. I loved the piano bar at Madame Jojo’s when, after their shows, casts from West End musicals would gather around the piano for the best sing-a-longs I have ever experienced. It was a magic time for me! Su knew many of the cast in West End musicals and we loved to go to JoJo’s piano bar after the final curtain. The very Best of Times indeed! Whenever we had friends visit from Australia or elsewhere we always took them to Jojo’s and without exception they all loved it, especially when the bar became a stage and the most amazing drag shows were presented. I caught several ‘straight’ friends tantalised by the near naked male bar staff! Not me though - I was a married man. Do I detect doubters?
Working in the box office in London was such a joy because I was able to see almost every show and the box office staff, without exception, was always totally welcoming. One of the first shows I saw was Marilyn with the magnificent Stephanie Lawrence at the Adelphi Theatre, where Su would later star in Me & My Girl. I also adored Joe Allen’s where, as a performer entered the premises the pianist played their latest hit or a song from the show they were currently appearing in. I was also reminded the other day by a pal on Facebook of the Peacock Bar next door to the Adelphi stage door. They even had a signed photograph of Su and me on their wall. I was very honoured!
On one occasion I had been to a bar in Earl’s Court where I met a charming chap who seemed intrigued by my Australian accent and we seemed to click on a superficial level. Whilst many of the hotel patrons were in leather chaps, he was in a suit, so I felt he was some sort of businessman. Little did I know the ‘business’ he was in ‘after hours’! I agreed to meet him the next night in his nearby flat and was looking forward to getting to know him better - not THAT way but just as a new social friend. I knocked on the door, which was opened by this apparition. He looked a lot like the Spiderman character popular today but he was all black with only his lips visible and when he turned around I was confronted by his bare behind. He definitely was a Spiderman type and getting out of his web took me almost an hour. I used every trick in the book - feigned a migraine, said I felt faint, that I was new to the gay scene and more. His type of scene certainly was new and very scary. He was just about to turn quite nasty when I hit the road. It was years before I returned to that pub!
Through my work in theatre I did make some very special friends, some of whom I am still in touch with today. However, the most awful incident happened, which I did not mention in my first book because it scared me and turned my stomach. My reason for mentioning it now is that an aspect of it recently surfaced in the news and brought back to mind the experience I had with a very high-profile MP at that time. The MP, who was probably in his late forties and whom I had met on several occasions socially, knew how interested I was in the beautiful and historical buildings in London, so he asked me to lunch at the Houses of Parliament one day, which I was thrilled to accept. After passing through several security checks, we went to his office briefly before lunch. To say I was overawed would be an understatement. He then he took me on a private tour of parts of the building the average tourist would never see. I was so excited I had to keep taking deep breaths. Everywhere I went I kept touching the walls, trying to comprehend the history of the place, which I still can barely grasp. We ended up meeting some of his friends in the Terrace Pavilion, which was like a marquee on the Thames side of the Houses of Parliament. All was light and only a bit formal so we decided to meet at this MP’s home in Wimbledon where we could all relax a bit more easily. Did I mention that all of those mentioned above were gay, not overtly or flamboyantly, but definitely gay?
A few nights later we all met at the MP’s beautiful home and drinks were served and sexual preferences were discussed. As usual, I made a flippant remark but their remarks were much less so and leaned towards their preference for very, very young boys! I have no idea why they assumed I might have been remotely interested in such a topic, because the opposite was true - I find the whole idea abhorrent. They seemed to belong to some kind of club with a secret code name and out came some photos. There was no internet then but they had slides shown on a projector. They were not all that explicit, mainly just nude poses, but of very young boys. I knew that once again I was in a very tricky situation and had to get my stupid self out of there, and fast!
I remember reading recently that an investigation was going on into similar events and I wondered if any of those involved were from that evening, but I suspect most of them would have passed away by now because they were not that young then. Sadly, those days seem to have had more than their share of dreadful paedophile incidents - so many well-known and well-loved household names. The biggest surprise, and I stress it was a ‘sad’ surprise, was the Rolf Harris arrest. He, too, is from Perth and I believe was a friend of my cousin, the Olympic swimming coach. Many mutual friends here and also staff at several radio and television stations in Australia confirmed the accusations about Mr Harris. I had also attended functions where most of the persons now in serious trouble were in attendance, but the only one who really gave me the creeps was Jimmy Saville, who was a big fan of Su. I always felt almost seedy around him. Every month or so now a new name seems to be exposed. I truly have been shocked by some of the names and it all seemed to be happening around the same time. Most curious and terribly sad, especially for the victims who had to wait so long to have their cases heard.
Beyond Su and Hello Sach
My marriage to Su was well covered by the press and in my earlier book. Through her I had a life that seems like a dream today. Meeting idols, opening fetes, both of us asked to very high-profile events, receiving mail from fans of Su’s who wanted both our autographs, and so many photographs! English people gave me so much affection through Su that I am inspired by the memories of those days to keep on keeping on, when recent sad times have pushed my spirits to the depths. One very special incident was when I received a message from a certain William Brougham, who disliked me intensely over the years because he thought I was a hanger-on to Su’s coattails. However, when he recently flew to Australia and by chance bought and read my last book, he totally changed his opinion of me and we are now in regular contact through Facebook. This kind of reaction to my last book touches me deeply.
Mind you, Su and I had our moments. I recall in New York one day a few days before her magnificent opening at the Park 10 Club we had a huge and hurtful fight in a yellow cab. I opened her door and pushed her out of the cab into the stree
t and said something like, ‘Get back in the gutter where you belong!’ Suffice to say, we made it up half an hour later - in hysterics! Volatile we were but deeply caring too.
Life with Su brought with it many benefits but it also made me more determined than ever to be my own man and stand on my own two feet. However, there are a couple of incidents I left out of my earlier book that now seem rather camp fun! One of them happened at a gay pub where Su had just done a free charity show in a tiny bar in the East End. Everyone was congratulating her so I decided that it was the perfect time to go to the bathroom, as she was busy signing her record Starting Together. I walked in the door and turned around to see a young man in his early twenties who told me he loved me and to prove it wanted to give me a token of his affection. He did this by undoing his jeans and taking them off, followed by his tiny underpants, which he stuffed into my jacket pocket! I was dumbfounded and forgot that they were in my coat pocket for ages. I don’t think I ever saw him again. The other day in a trunk full of articles and souvenirs from my time in London I found the underpants. I asked Sach if they would fit him but they were much too small. The owner must have been a person of diminished stature. I decided to keep them, with Sach’s approval, a camp souvenir of such fun times.
Another occasion I was reminded of occurred when I saw the wonderful move Pride about the striking miners who were helped by gay, lesbian and transgender groups to survive in the most awful fights with the Thatcher government. Su and I were in the march that was depicted in the last scene of the movie and it is one of my proudest days. The gay groups were at the head of the march with the miners and although we were down the line we were still very much a part of the protest. Su took a great risk taking sides but she has always had the guts and character to give her all wholeheartedly to any cause she truly believes in, and there are several.
Being married to Su was a memorable time for both of us and full marks to Su for her support during times that were often daunting. I learned a huge amount from the years I spent with her and I have been able to apply some of those lessons as my life, to be brutally frank, winds down. I know that it sounds terribly dramatic coming from me - something I hardly ever am. Ask anyone! However, as one reaches seventy and has had few major health hiccups the above statement is more true than false.
After my dad’s sudden and unexpected death at sixty-nine years of age I returned to Australia and stayed to support Mum and the family. After a few months of doing so, Su and I decided to try a trial separation, which is how I met Sach backstage at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne - in the office of my ex-partner, John Frost, during the run of the musical Big River. My opening line on meeting Sach, ‘Have I had you?’ He did not appreciate, so it took many months for us to decide that we would try to form a relationship.
It was a bit of a shock for me to once again be involved in a gay relationship when I had decided that I would be much happier on my own after the end of my marriage. The last thing I wanted was any kind of involvement, gay, straight or whatever. I cautiously introduced Sach to my family, who were quite welcoming. I think Su was a bit of a challenge to their sensibilities! I also introduced him to one of the most important members of staff at Channel 9 in Sydney and a dear friend of mine and John Frost’s, ‘Lady’ Olga Byron, who has now sadly passed away. She was one of the funniest persons I ever met and with the driest sense of humour. I shall never forget her comment when I first met her through John Frost and asked her if she was married. Her reply was, ‘Darling, I’ve been married twice - one husband died and one wouldn’t!’
While we were trying to sort out our feelings, Sach and I were staying with a friend of his in an apartment on Sydney Harbour. This friend fancied Sach desperately but hated me with a passion - hard to believe I know! I would only leave the bedroom when he was out of the apartment. I would run to the fridge and grab some food and drink, go to the bathroom and head back to the bedroom. Needless to say, we did not stay long. I was getting bed sores! After Sydney, we flew to London via Honolulu, Los Angeles and New York to sort out things with Su. Unusually for me, I did a rather bitchy thing once we arrived in Honolulu and sent a postcard to this person who hated me. It just said, ‘The weather is here - wish you were lovely!’
Honolulu was a test of how we would cope as a couple. Sadly, I failed the test a couple of times. Being newly returned to the gay scene, I was very insecure and became quite jealous of Sach. He looked like a male model and of course caught the eye of roving gays wherever we went in Honolulu. One day in Ala Moana, the biggest shopping centre in Hawaii, a couple of obviously gay guys walked past us and gave Sach a wolf whistle and smiled sweetly. Well, that was the last straw. I lost the plot! I stormed off to the car park under the mall but for more than fifteen minutes I couldn’t find the bloody jeep we had hired, so I was marching to and fro in a fury. When we did finally get into the jeep I let fly with a few choice accusations, saying he encouraged them, he loved the attention, and our relationship would never work out and on and on. Sach lost his temper and punched his fist right through the dashboard and ripped off a door handle. Boy, did I shut my stupid mouth quickly! Violence has always terrified me and still does, and this was some heavy punching - never on me, thank heavens, although I probably deserved a whack every now and then. I was on the receiving end of a lot of them growing up.
One other slightly embarrassing incident in Honolulu was when we decided to go swimming on the other side of the island. We took off in our trusty jeep, which had no top. Neither did Sach. After a magnificent day we headed back to our hotel, and being as saucy as ever, I dared Sach to take off his swimming trunks and sit there naked for a few miles. Never dare Sach to do anything! He immediately dropped his drawers and sat there naked as the day he was born. At the very same moment a bus filled with Japanese tourists pulled up beside us and cameras started flashing - as well as Sach. I took off at breakneck speed, terrified someone would report us to the hire car company and then the police. Thankfully no such thing happened, but I would love to have seen some of those photos in the Japanese tourists’ cameras!.
Next stop Los Angeles. We loved West Hollywood but not the city of Los Angeles itself. It was only a short stopover but while there we went into a Kentucky Fried Chicken for a quick meal. Suddenly all hell broke loose as two huge and very aggressive African American men started to fight with the staff and make threats that they were going to kill them. Sach and I cowered under a table and I prayed with all my heart that I wouldn’t end my life on the floor of a KFC store in Los Angeles. We made our escape as the security guards took over but I was a wreck. As we left the two African Americans followed not far behind and wrecked the doors of the shop on their way out. Thankfully they didn’t see us, as we were sliding along the street with our backs to the wall, trying to become invisible.
Then it was on to New York for a brief stop over before London, where we stayed with an old friend who was the headmaster of a large Catholic school. He organised for a few old friends to pop around for a drink and I went to see Su. It was a very painful meeting because we both knew it was really just confirming that it was time to go our own ways. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever done, both of us tearful. I walked for hours all over Islington recollecting some of the most wonderful experiences and happiest times of my life, then walked into the West End past the Adelphi Theatre where Su had been a huge success in Me & My Girl, past Joe Allen’s Bar, which was a regular haunt of ours, and I finally went back to my friend’s home with a very heavy heart.
I made my farewells to the people I had grown to love dearly, many of whom I still am in contact with, and came back to Australia. Had I done the right thing by Su and myself? There were so many questions and so few answers at that time. I felt guilty about returning to the gay scene. I couldn’t even admit to my family that Sacha was my partner; I told them he was just an old friend. The first thing I knew was that I wanted to help Mum over the loss
of Dad and take her on a trip overseas, which was the absolute best move ever. When I look at the old videos of the trip I see that every scene emanates joy. It also enabled Mum to bond with Sach on a very deep level, so much so that Mum introduces him to everyone as her son-in-law!
Around the World with Mum and Sach
Off we went via Sydney, first to Hawaii where Mum fell in love with every aspect of the place - even the smells! We couldn’t really afford to stay anywhere too grand and always shared the one bedroom with two double beds, but the laughs we had on that trip still make us smile today whenever we talk about aspects of the journey. We went to a Luau, which Mum loved, and even learnt the hula. She enjoyed every second of every day. The other day she stayed with Sach and me overnight after another hard night in hospital and Sach bought her some coconut ice cream. As soon as she tasted it she started reminiscing about the happy times she had in Hawaii. She loved piña coladas more than anything and often after a lovely night dining on the beach she would share some of her most private thoughts about her life - meeting Dad, having children, her greatest joys and saddest moments. So very revealing and some aspects heartbreaking!
Whilst in Hawaii we went to a New Year’s Eve Concert performed by Connie Stevens and her two daughters by singer Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds’ first husband. We were a little tipsy and on the way back to our hotel Mum was laughing so much she had to run at full pelt into a McDonald’s bathroom to relieve herself - and she hates McDonalds! I was also very bold and cheekily said to Sach that if he really cared about me he would get a small tattoo on the top of his bottom crack. The tattoo was a tiny heart with ‘P&S’ inside it. When retelling the incident these days I always say that I only used the initials because ‘P&S’ could stand for Peter and Sach but if by any chance I returned to Su it could also stand for Peter and Su - of course I was totally jesting!