NOSTALGIA: Ursula proves that softness is a thing called Comfort '“ even at 40

Bob Hind's daughter Ursula in
the Comfort television ad. — Bob Hind's daughter Ursula in the Comfort television ad.

I remember when the word cinema was never used. We went to the pictures at a picture house. This photo of the Gaiety Picture House on Albert Road, Southsea, proves my point.

It was taken in 1941 when the film Citadel of Crime was released. On the right of the building was where the East Southsea branch railway line passed under Albert Road heading for the Strand.

• Pictured in summer 1963 and a few months short of the demise of Portsmouth trolleybuses, we see No315 in Bradford Road outside the Gaumont. Trolleybus services finished on July 27, 1963.

The Gaiety Picture House, Albert Road, Southsea.

To the rear is the unique three-sided shelter at the Victoria Road North junction. To the left of the shelter is the entrance to Rugby Road which cannot be entered from there any longer.

Showing at the Gaumont was 55 Days in Peking. The cinema closed in the 1970s to become a bingo hall and is now a mosque.

• Forgive me for a little nepotism while I wish my lovely daughter Ursula a happy 40th birthday.

Can it really be 40 years since I held that little bundle of joy just a minute after she came into the world at 7am after waiting all night for her to arrive?

A view towards Bradford Junction at its junction with Victoria Road North with the Gaumont on the right.

Most of you will not know her of course, but I am sure many of you may have seen her because when she was a baby, in 1978, she appeared in that memorable TV advertisement for fabric conditioner Comfort.

I took her to Shepperton Studios in Middlesex for four days of filming for a 20-second advert. The voice-over was spoken by the superb actor Joss Ackland

If you go to YouTube and search ‘Comfort advert 1978’ there she is. I must admit to nearly hugging the computer screen when I first saw it!

She has since given me two grandchildren, Verity and Harry.

rw POOR PIC Reunion St Lukes c of e school

Back row left to right
Steve Paffett, Geoff Mould, Tim Wallis, Keith Davies, Dave Wakenshaw , Kenny Finlay. Front row l to r. Paul Welch Kevin Relf Bob Scadden, Ray Lowe, Clive Walsh.

Photo given to me by Ken Finlay who would love to meet up with any of the boys in this photograph

Sandra Langford nee Hallett
From: Sandra Langford
Date: 25 January 2018 at 15:14
Subject: Re: Reunion St Lukes c of e school
To: Chris Owen

Hi Chris thank you so much for the big spread you did for me on Reunion I am organising. I have been contacted by a Ken Finlay who was at school with me when boys and girls amalgamated giving me a photo of him with the school football team at that time. Can I be cheeky and ask if you would kindly post this photo with names for us. We have located two of the names Ray Lowe Paul Welch and Kevin Relf but would very much like to find the others if possible. We do have old boys coming — rw POOR PIC Reunion St Lukes c of e school Back row left to right Steve Paffett, Geoff Mould, Tim Wallis, Keith Davies, Dave Wakenshaw , Kenny Finlay. Front row l to r. Paul Welch Kevin Relf Bob Scadden, Ray Lowe, Clive Walsh. Photo given to me by Ken Finlay who would love to meet up with any of the boys in this photograph Sandra Langford nee Hallett From: Sandra Langford Date: 25 January 2018 at 15:14 Subject: Re: Reunion St Lukes c of e school To: Chris Owen Hi Chris thank you so much for the big spread you did for me on Reunion I am organising. I have been contacted by a Ken Finlay who was at school with me when boys and girls amalgamated giving me a photo of him with the school football team at that time. Can I be cheeky and ask if you would kindly post this photo with names for us. We have located two of the names Ray Lowe Paul Welch and Kevin Relf but would very much like to find the others if possible. We do have old boys coming

• Finally today, a reminder. As previously reported here, this Saturday sees a reunion of boys and girls who were pupils at St Luke’s C of E Secondary School, Portsmouth, between 1963 and 1970.

It’s at at Waverley Bowls Club, Southsea, at 7.30pm. Anyone interested should e-mail organiser Sandra Langford via sandralangford257@ btinternet.com or call her on 07702 118 113 or (023) 9225 5596.

And here’s a further memory-jerker...

The organisers of the reunion would love it if any of these lads from the school team from the 1960s could make it.

Here are the names:

Back row (l to r): Steve Paffett, Geoff Mould, Tim Wallis, Keith Davies, Dave Wakenshaw, Kenny Finlay.

Front: Paul Welch, Kevin Relf, Bob Scadden, Ray Lowe, Clive Walsh.

Sandra Langford can also be contacted by messaging her on her Facebook page.