Completely coincidentally with the release of the new Mary Poppins film, I was sorting through some of my dad’s photos over Christmas when I noticed that one the black & white films from October 1955 mentioned PL Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books. And there, towards the end was this one frame…
My aunt confirmed that it is her – the photo was taken at the Symons’ house in Gloucester Gate near Regent’s Park. The Symons were friends of the family, and I have a vague memory of visiting them there in the 1970s – something to do with being allowed to play underneath a grand piano, or something like that. My cousin apparently met her when he was 6 months old.
One thing that occurred to me is that PL Travers probably reduces my Bacon Number quite significantly (see Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon) – me to my dad, to PL Travers, to Walt Disney, to anyone and everyone he met!