Wendy Chapman , daughter of Irene May Osmond
She has given me lots of information on stories her mother told her. Have stored some of these stories here for future reference
email received 27/9/2015
Dear Chris, will try to answer your questions as accurately as I can. although most of them are covered with my correspondence earlier to you, also in the messages between Bab's Nicholls and me.
1. Yes the name was Elsie.[ May Davies] HLO lived at that address when he died (Llypnia hospital), We saw the house
when we found his grave- it looked as though it may have been a council house and she was the named tenant. { presumably
on the graveyard record]
2. HLO photo, he is driving minus his hat, Agda is sat immediately behind him. I do not know who the man full face is.
It is the only photo I have of him, did not get that until Agda died, mum never owned one.
3. I sent the best of what I had of Agda to Linda Mcintosh. Sorry no photos of Madge.
4. I subscribed to the Stage for the shortest time possible, only found Ethel's death notice and a couple of tiny ads for
HLO's pantomimes. Could not find any reviews of shows.
5. Do not know what year the town hall was damaged, if I was to guess it may have been post 1912, they lived in Bispham
I think from this date until HLO' mum died.
6. Do not know how long they were in Haverford West, just long enough for Henry to raise enough to put on a production
(probably as cheaply as he could). Mum would have been 13/14 when she was a dainty maid. She did grow taller after 14
as we all do her final height was 5ft-5".
7. do not know how long mum was at Everton Blues, she hated it, I think HLO got her away from there as soon as he could.
Probably at St. Mary's about 2 years - she was not keen on her time there either. She loved her grandmother very much
and I think her childhood after that was not so happy. She also loved her father very much, he always told her that Ethel
was the love of his life. I think like all children of that era she was kept very mich in the dark about family matters.
8. Yes I have Agda's birth c. -She was born 9th April 1901, address 18, Albert Street, Fleetwood.
(This HLO's parents home, see 1901c.) Registered as May Osmond on the 13th of May, Agda must have been added
in later years probably when she entered the theatre. Father HLO - Theatre proprietor Mother-Florence Osmond.
I do think that with previous correspondence and the written contents of my parcel to you which includes all correspondence
that Bab's Nicholls collated for L McIntosh, There are a couple of stories in there about HLO and his dogs plus other stuff.
I have exhausted what knowledge I have gleaned over the years.
I really do want to put HLO to bed.