The Bow Belles

[artyali]

Does anyone have any information about The Bow Belles? This troop of entertainers are mentioned in letters home from my Gt Uncle John Cyril Caley ( 56th, 1/2 London Rifles KIA Gommecourt). He describes them as being a ‘ripping yarn’ and that him and his mates were thoroughly ‘entertained in the style of the Fezzy’s? Fizzy’s’! Would be great to do a bit of research on them! 

[maxi]

I have looked in a few reference books but nothing in them on the Bow Belles.

They are mentioned here as the Divisional Concert Party which you may have already seen.

http://firstworldwar.com/diaries/littlerdiary3.htm

See the entry for the 26th May.

 

Maxi

[maxi]

There is a previous thread on Concert Parties and below you will find a photo of the troupe in a post dated 21st January 2008 by Tyneside Chinaman.

 

Good luck with your research and I shall keep my out to see if I can find out anything further.

 

Maxi

[artyali]

Thanks all, yes I’ve seen bits n pieces found on the internet but it would be great to be able to identify them all and find out about their repertoire! 

[Guest]

Hello

My grandfather, Arthur Barham, served in the 56th Division. I have a number of postcards of the Bow Bells Concert Party, many of them in costume. The cards give the names of the members:

Harry Brandon, Frederic Moss, Bardy Russell, Dick Horne, RR Holland, Mark Leslie, Harold Chapman, AP Holland and Con Oram.

I could send you scans of the cards if you would like.

 

 

[Kath]

 WITH THE COLOURS.

 that some of the stars continue to shine nightly, even out here. I have seen three concert parties—the Whizz-Bangs, the Bow Bells, and the Barn Owls. In the Whizz-Bangs were Harry Boreham, Will King (of Birmingham), and Hall (of the Palladium Minstrels) 

09 August 1916 - The Era - London, London, 

 

[MLGUEST]

On 01/02/2018 at 17:45, artyali said:

Thanks all, yes I’ve seen bits n pieces found on the internet but it would be great to be able to identify them all and find out about their repertoire! 

Hi,

I am a masters student at Leeds Beckett University and I am currently researching for my dissertation on cross-dressing in WW1. I would love to get in contact with you and potentially see these letters, I am also happy to share my research with you when I have completed it.

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum. @artyali hasn’t visited the forum since 2018, but my tag may alert them to your post.