"Gracie comes whoam" : souvenir of the visit of Miss Gracie Fields to her native town : Rochdale, Lancashire, 26 to 31 January 1931 : front cover

            In January 1931 the then 'superstar' Gracie Fields visited her 'native town' of Rochdale where she had been born in 1899. After an early career as a winder in a cotton mill, a job common to many Lancastrian children of the day, she came to the stage by way of local talent shows and then travelling as a member of a juvenile troupe. By the 1930s she was arguably Britain's most famous female star appearing on stage, screen and radio as a singer and actor.

The booklet was issued to record the visit and her various official activities, mostly around charitable works for which she was well known. So, the local hospitals and institutions saw her visit and, on her final day, she kicked-off the rugby league football match between Rochdale Hornets and Wakefield. The booklet contains many pages of information on Gracie's life and career and is full of adverts for local companies, etc., that were supporting the events.

There is an odd family link to this; my late father's family always told the tale of how my Pa was 'tickled under the chin' by Gracie Fields just after he was born in Birch Hill Hospital - and she did visit the Maternity Ward as part of this tour so perhaps there was some truth in it!

The cover is dominated by this vamp like drawing of Gracie by Murray Norman.  "Whoam" is, in older Rochdalian 'dialect', home.

Taken on: April 28, 2023

Tags:

Mike Ashworth Collection

Rochdale

booklet

souvenir

Gracie comes Whoam

Miss Gracie Fields

entertainer

singer

actor

Lancashire

January 1931

1931

publication

celebrations

charity works

drawing

Murray Norman « less

Sets appears in: • Gracie comes Whoam : souvenir brochure for visit of Gracie Fields to Rochdale, Lancashire, 1931 • Rochdale - the old home town

Groups appears in: • Book Cover Club • Lancashire more » • That Old Timey Feeling • We love the North • PLANET EARTH BACK IN THE DAY • Rochdale Images « less

Camera: Brother MFC-J6930DW (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Brother MFC-J6930DW
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Apple Image Capture
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