大象传媒

I was born in Swindon, Wilts, in 1933 my Grandfather, on my father's side was the assitant Accountant for GWR, my father was apprenticed to them and was 'headhunted' by Bill Morris (Lord Nuffield) to train at Morris Motors in Oxford to become an engine designer (for motor cars). We moved to Oxford in 1934, when I was One year old. During the 2nd world War, my father was in charge of the motor works at Oxford and Coventry as chief inpector of torpedoes for the admiralty! He was also a well known champion Swimmer and had the distinction of being the only non-university swimmer, to swim for oxford university, naturally, during the war years!!
I was sent to a 'Dame School' Miss Horne's in Walton street, and passed my scholarship and was sent to St. Helen's & St Katherine's girls public School in Abingdon. In 1947 the Motor works were returned to private ownership and we moved to High Wycombe.My father had been promised a job within the admiralty at High Wycombe by his supervisor,who then retired and so the job did not materialise. We were stuck in High Wycombe and I was sent to Wycombe High School for girls. All this time I had, in Oxford , been training for a singing career. First with a lady called Beatrice Ludlow, a pupil of Madam Novello. Every time her son Ivor appeared at the Oxford New Theatre, she used to come and stay with Miss Ludlow and would listen to all the pupils perform and so did Ivor. He just loved it! When we moved I then travelled all the way to Swindon where Arthur Carron was living, for my Singing lesson. Yes we did have a car. Arthur Carron had been the principal Tenor with the metrapoliton Opera Company in New York, for I believe about 25 years and in 1947 he returned to England where he made a living teaching and singing 'Herod' in 'Salome' all over the world. It was he who 'put up' at his home, Pavorati and his father when they came and entered the Welsh eisteddfod. By then I had left home and taken my first job with the 'National Light opera Company' run by Ralph Reader. We opened in Southport which was then a very cultured place! My name at that time was Loraine Tunstall.