Lois Sturt's Engagement Diary April-June 1921

FROM LOIS STURT’S ENGAGEMENT DIARY

APRIL- JUNE 1921

An event first mentioned in April 1921, Hon. Lois Sturt was seen raising money for the Great Northern Hospital.  Lois was billed as being among the stall holders at a bazaar at Crewe House over two days in June raising funds for the Great Northern Hospital, one of the causes supported by all the Sturt  family, including Lois’s mother Lady Feo Sturt and Lois’ brother Naps, 3rd Lord Alington. 

In June, 1921 Lois was in the company  of HRH  Prince Albert ( Bertie) Duke of York - later  George VI - at Charlton, near Banbury for a weekend, playing tennis  with  Lord and Lady Birkenhead and Maxine Forbes Robertson. Charlton boasted three tennis courts. Two grass and one hard.  A mysterious photograph survives in the Lois Sturt Collection at  the National Library of Wales, both Lois and Bertie are in the photograph. This may well solve the mystery of where this snap was taken.  

Also in late June, 1921  Lois was among a select group of 14, including her  fellow actress Lady Diana Cooper ( with her mother Violet, Duchess of  Rutland), the dilettante Victor Cunard and Lady Lavery ( wife of artist Sir John Lavery, a friend of Evan Morgan)  as guests of Patrick Ford MP at Lady Islington’s dance.    

To crown June 1921 off came the first meeting of the cast of  “The Glorious Adventure” – which was released in 1922, as a colour film starring Lady Diana Cooper and Hon. Lois Sturt.

“The creation of the film began in a lovely old world garden behind Addison road, in West London when  a score of figures assembled to rehearse the first scenes from J Stuart Blackton’s epic colour  film         “ The Glorious Adventure”, a story from the time of King Charles II.” Among the actresses were Lady Duff, Lady Diana Cooper and  Hon. Lois Sturt. It was reported that   “ Lois wore “ a yellow frock and a wig as black as the King’s”.  

 For further information of this or any other blog entry, please contact William Cross, Author of " Lois Sturt, Wild Child"

williecross@aol.com