I REFER to the "Wedding of Year" for Leigh at St Joseph's.

It's really something to have such an interesting showbusiness wedding containing a Phantom of the Opera star Charlotte Page, and the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company's leading tenor Joseph Shovelton in these parts.

Seldom would two famous showtime characters have 'tied the knot', but over the years there must have been other world of showbusiness weddings in Lancashire parts...

In 1898 the Hindley-born Chu Chin Chow beauty, the noted Elizabeth (Lily) Brayton (a mainly Shakespearean actress) married at Hindley St Peter's Church, near to the 1607 origin town-centred Bird i'th' 'And pub, which was once some kind of hostelry.

Despite being a flamboyant kind of risk-taker, Lily Brayton's bridegroom, the Australian educated actor Oscar Asche was one of the greatest actor/directors of his time. The Australian Commissioners easily remember Oscar Asche, who among other roles, played opposite the southern legend Ellen Terry in 'The Vikings'.

In 1928 Herbert Beebohm Tree, who was knighted, and who incidentally built His Majesty's Theatre, played in 'The Taming of the Shrew' with Lily Brayton, Helen Haye and the great northern actor, Withington, Manchester born Robert Donat at Wimbledon Theatre.

Robert Donat who was younger than Chu Chin Lily, and more suited to films, starred in Robin Hood, The Sea Wolf, The 39 Steps, The Inn of the 6th Happiness, and he was the schoolmaster in Goodbye Mr Chips.

Mr Kenneth Lucas

Park Road,

Hindley.

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