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
Writer ● Speaker ● Artist
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0663
http://www.angelscross.blogspot.com
http://www.smcarolan.blogspot.com
http://www.smcarolan.blogspot.com
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.