BETWEEN THE COVERS: JOAN FINDS LUNCH WITH BABS A RIGHT CARRY ON!

This week book exerpt is a short one, but it's always good to read what other stars have to say about Joan. This week Barbara Windsor recalls a meeting with Joan in her 2nd autobiography 'ALL OF ME - MY EXTRAORDINARY LIFE', published in 2000 by Headline...

'While in NY to promote the film 'Sparrows Can't Sing', my agent Peter Charlesworth and I went to Birdland for the jazz, we also had dinner with Peter's best mate Anthony Newley, who was appearing on Broadway in the musical, 'Stop the World I Want to Get Off'. Tony was celebrating his success and his recent marriage to the lovely and pregnant, Joan Collins. "Two little people from Hackney, here on Broadway,". Tony said to me as we clinked glasses. "Who'd have thought it eh?"

 

BARBARA WITH JOAN AT THE LOVE & DESIRE & HATE LAUNCH WITH ANITA DOBSON..ROBERT WAGNER..JILL ST JOHN.. DIANA RIGG..BRIAN MAY.. EDWARD DUKE..ELAINE PAIGE & STEFANIE POWERS

Having known Joan many years, we went to the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, to see out mutual friend Christopher Biggins in 'The Tempest'. I'd introduced Joan and Christopher the previous year when we had all gone to see Joan's now ex-husband Anthony Newley in his one man show at the Langan Hilton and they had got on brilliantly. A few weeks later, I'd bumped into Joan at a book launch and she said. 'Tell me, that delightful man I met, Christopher Biggins, is he really as lovely as he seems?'... 'Oh, yes!'.. I told her. 'He is an absolute joy. He is lovely for ladies like us, especially if you haven't got a gentleman to escort you to a premiere, or if you want to go to the movies, or even fancy fish and chips! He's that kind of person. Every actress should have Biggins in the small print of their contract as an essential.' .. 'Oh really?'.. said Joan. That was the beginning of a great friendship. After that, they were seen everywhere together.

BARBARA WITH JOAN AT THE IVY

That night after The Tempest, we went to dinner at The Ivy, where Joan taught me a lesson I've never forgotten. She looked amazing, giving that it was a chilly night and we'd been sitting in the open air for a couple of hours, but even so she asked the press photographers waiting outside the restaurant not to take her picture until she came out. After dinner Joan checked her lipstick to make sure she was looking her best, whereas I didn't bother. As we left we were photographed together. While I grinned broadly, waving my hands all over the place, the immaculate Joan smiled sweetly and kept hers discreetly behind her back, which for ladies of our years, is essential, because if you show your hands, you show your age. When I saw some of the photographs, the difference was clear, at least it was to me! I take my hat off to her.
(c) 2000 BARBARA WINDSOR..