IT’S a story that’s crying out for Hollywood, but for some reason has failed even to catch the imagination of Worcester. Yet few lifetimes can match that of Vesta Tilley, born one of 13 children in a city backstreet, who went on to be feted across Europe and America as one of the truly great show business stars.

While the birthplace of the area’s other musical genius Sir Edward Elgar has been protected and restored at Lower Broadheath, Vesta’s was knocked down during a slum clearance programme.

Despite her humble beginnings, she went on to become Lady de Frece, and, in her day, vastly more popular than even the composer of the tune that was turned into Land of Hope and Glory. Sellout crowds of more than 2,500 attended her performances across America and she was dubbed “England’s greatest recruiting sergeant” during the First World War, when troops marched away to the sound of her songs like The Army of Today’s All Right and Jolly Good Luck to the Girl Who Loves a Soldier.

But ask 10 people on the streets of Worcester today the importance of Vesta Tilley and two might know, three wouldn’t have a clue and five would probably think it was something to do with a curry.

However, that might be about to change, because moves are afoot to have a statue of Vesta Tilley set upnear to where she was born in the Wyld’s Lane area of Worcester.

“She wasn’t very tall, so it shouldn’t cost much,” joked the instigator of the project Ray Sturdy, a man of many parts, among them a local historian. He first became engrossed by the legend of Vesta several years ago when he was researching what life was like in the city a century ago.

Ray said: “She was such a remarkable woman, a real superstar of her age. She was one of the lights of Worcester that we should never let go out.”

To that end, Ray has pulled together an informal group of people which includes the city’s mayor, Councillor Lucy Hodgson, entertainment guru Chris Jaeger and Adrian Gregson, Worcester city councillor and someone else who is very interested in local history.

Thoughts on how to mark the life, times and achievements of Vesta Tilley are in the early stages, but the best bet is a statue and a campaign is likely to be launched in the spring when a plaque to her memory is unveiled on the side the Garibaldi pub in Wyld’s Lane, near to where she was born.

Vesta arrived in the world on May 13, 1864, as Matilda Alice, the second of what were to be 13 children of William Henry Powles, a china gilder, and his wife, also Matilda.

The family lived in Beaver Row, presumably a traditional Victorian courtyard, off Commandery Street, in the Blockhouse area of the city, which has long since disappeared.

Dent Close is its nearest modern equivalent.

Harry Powles had a passion for the musical hall and in the evenings performed as Harry Ball, tramp musician, playing violin and piccolo.

Vesta soon followed in his footsteps, first appearing on stage at the age of only three-and-a-half at Gloucester in November 1867. She was rapidly hailed “The great Little Tilley” – Tilley being the shortened version of Matilda. It was said she later adopted Vesta, which was Victorian slang for a match, because it was a catchy association for her audiences.

The family had by then left Worcester and were living in Nottingham, where Harry Powles was manager of a musical hall.

When Vesta next returned to the city to appear at the New Concert Hall in Lowesmoor it was in male attire as Pocket Sims Reeves.

As the years went by her career grew until she was one of the bestknown and certainly most wealthy entertainers in the country.

She married Walter de Frece. He was from a theatrical family and was knighted for his fund-raising during the First World War.

The couple had homes beside the river Thames in Maidenhead, Surrey, and in Monte Carlo. Sir Walter became a politician, a Conservative MP for Ashton and later Blackpool.

Vesta gave up her career to support him but not before she had appeared on the first Royal Variety Performance show and undertaken sell-out tours of America.

In July 1927, Vesta returned to Worcester with her husband to open the Conservative Women’s fete at Perdiswell Hall, freely confessing she was “not much good” as a platform speaker, much preferring the stage. However the crowds cheered and Berrow’s Worcester Journal described her as “a woman of unspeakable charm and personality, who is reputed to be the happiest woman in England.”

Vesta Tilley’s performing career lasted 54 years and she died at her London home in 1952, aged 88.

Worcester Museum and Art Gallery does hold considerable Vesta Tilley memorabilia, but it may be moved to the County Museum at Hartlebury, which is really no place for it to be.

Ray Sturday said: “As we have a lady mayor, I believe it would be the perfect time to bring the life of such a prominent Worcester citizen to public knowledge and show our support by erecting a memorial to the great lady.

“There is an empty spot on the corner of Sidbury and Bath Road, in the area where Vesta was born and christened, which seems to be an ideal location for such a statue.”

Watch that space.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF VESTA TILLEY WHOSE FAREWELL PERFORMANCE WAS TO THE SADNESS OF TWO MILLION ADORING FANS

VESTA Tilley built her career around her skill as a male impersonator. In her book Recollections she describes how it came about.

She said: “Young as I was, I had, in song, run through the whole gamut of female characters, from baby songs to old maids’ ditties, and I had concluded that female costume was rather a drag. So one night on my way to bed I took my father’s hat and overcoat and carried them to my bedroom. I put on the coat, which trailed on the floor behind me, the hat, which I stuffed to prevent it falling over my eyes, and before the looking glass tried to sing a song I had heard, as the man sang it.”

Her father came in, commended her performance and a boy’s evening dress suit was made for the little girl.

When she eventually said goodbye to the stage, on a very emotional night at the London Coliseum in 1920, she was presented with books containing more than two million signatures from her fans.

Photo caption: APPEAL: Ray Sturdy reads Vesta Tilley’s autobiography Recollections.

He believes that a statue to the darling of the music hall is long overdue in Worcester.

Picture by Nick Toogood 08145503