PBS TELEVISION HAS SCORED AGAIN!

 By Shirley M. Carolan

Over the years I’ve watched with pleasure, anticipation and satisfaction the wonderful programs that PBS television brings to America.  I’ve even contributed to their fund raising programs.  The latest program that I am ecstatic about is “Mr. Selfridge,” on Sunday evenings.  I love everything about this show from the theme to the actors, story line and my memories of living in London, England before and after WWII and shopping at this magnificent Emporium!

I was almost 6.5 years old at the beginning of WWII and was consequently bombed out of London but fortunately survived with my parents and twin brother in the English countryside.  I don’t remember much shopping during the war but certainly do afterwards.  Selfridge’s was one our favorite department stores to ooh and aah at while shopping.  It was a place of glitter, like a fairyland, after the end of the war in 1945 and the dreadful rationing we were still on.

At the time I did not know that Mr. Harry Selfridge was an American and the first of his kind to establish a world renowned, successful department store.  He was an inspiration not only to his fellow American store owners, e.g. Marshall Field in Chicago where he got his training, but also the toast of European capitals for his style, creativity and freedom to browse through the wonderful emporium he built.

No story would be complete without some sadness, setbacks or just plain bad luck and “Mr. Selfridge” is no different.  Unfortunately, it is Harry Selfridge who runs amok.  He was a ladies man and an inveterate gambler.  He lost his wife Rose because of his unfaithfulness, although she later died in 1908 from the flu epidemic which ravaged Europe.  Because of his gambling and lavish lifestyle he was asked to leave Selfridge’s by its board of directors.  He met the inimitable Dolly sisters and his gambling skyrocketed.  As a pauper on the street looking at the windows of his beloved Selfridge’s he was arrested.  Harry died a pauper.

The series has not reached this far in the story line and I do hope I have the courage to watch it when it does.  For some reason, Harry Selfridge epitomizes the war years for me because Selfridge’s was so much a part of my childhood life.   I am 80 years old now and left London with my parents and twin brother December 1947.  That was the year that Harry died but we did not know about it then.

I do hope you will watch this wonderful TV program on your local PBS station.

Cheers, 

Shirley M. Carolan, ATMG
Writer ● Speaker ● Artist
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0663

http://www.angelscross.blogspot.com
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Copyright© 2014 by Shirley M. Carolan. All rights reserved. To reprint any part of this article simply contact Shirley Carolan at artistwithaflair@att.net. Thank you.