At Oldway Primary School in Paignton, I had three classmates who had famous parents: Jennifer was the daughter of Myrtle Devenish [1] (above left, in later years); Geoff was the son of Arnie Kitson [2] (no image found!); and Diane was the daughter of Leslie Jackman [3] (above right, in later years).
I knew that Mrs Devenish was an actress, but didn’t know any roles she had taken, or seen any of her performances, but just being an actress was enough to be famous in my very limited world. In contrast to Myrtle, I had heard Arnie Kitson play his xylophone on radio broadcasts and he also taught Geoff the instrument – the latter making an appearance on “The Children’s Television Caravan”, a touring TV show that came to Paignton. I guess that Arnie, who came originally from Yorkshire, learned his craft in the music halls and I heard him play the xylophone on enough occasions to recognise his skill.
Leslie Jackman was a local schoolteacher who also ran Paignton Aquarium [4]. A keen naturalist, Leslie published many books about seashore life, insects, and much else and he also became a well-known natural history film-maker. He worked on the BBC “Out of Doors” TV programme where he occupied the Club Room and encouraged many children to look in pools, to make bark rubbings, or to try and find egg shells dropped from nests. Much of Leslie’s work, like that of Myrtle Devenish, came after I had left Oldway Primary School, but he was already well-known and therefore qualified as someone famous. In Walking with Gosse [5], I relate that my pressed flower collection was given second place in a competition at the school; first prize being given to Diane, as she had such an excellent mentor. Leslie (always Mr Jackman to me) certainly influenced me and I recognise his importance in my development as a natural historian.
So, three indirect contacts with fame (I only met Mrs Devenish on a couple of occasions, I never met Mr Kitson, and was yet to meet Mr Jackman). All on a rather small scale, perhaps, but nevertheless something that registered in my parochial little world.
There are those who are desperate to be nationally, or world, famous, and contemporary media can make it possible for web “influencers”, pop stars, and reality TV show participants to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, fame and recognition are rarely long-term, although there are exceptions to that general rule: A-listers are likely to stay there, but B-listers can slide to the C-list and onwards into oblivion.
In his book Fame in the 20th Century, Clive James writes [6]:
There was always fame. As long as
there have been human beings, there has always been fame. It’s a human
weakness.
He then goes on to describe 406 famous men and women of the century (plus 5 from earlier times) and I only had to look up one of them, the rest being familiar to me. As would be expected, most came from the world of Entertainment and the Arts; areas, together with sport, that can produce enduring fame, although famous sportspeople are usually young, as their careers taper with age. That’s not to say that some sportsmen and sportswomen do not retain their fame, as there are those who become “legends” in popular parlance.
This leads me to wonder whether fame was important to Myrtle Devenish, Arnie Kitson and Leslie Jackman? We all appreciate recognition of our activities and we like “pats on the back”, but is the quest for fame a human weakness as Clive James suggests and does it bring any meaningful benefits apart from wealth and the best tables in restaurants? There are certainly drawbacks, as one moves further and further from what might be called normality. Many famous people feel threatened, they can fear lack of recognition, be besieged and stared at wherever they go, and may have to hide behind a mask. Who wants to be famous?
[1] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222318/
[2] https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c29bb3108f3146798780d5077445a9d3
[3] https://www.jukolart.us/wildlife-filmmaking/leslie-jackman.html
[4] https://rwotton.blogspot.com/2020/12/leslie-jackmans-marine-aquaria_22.html
[5] Roger S Wotton (2020) Walking with Gosse: Natural History, Creation and Religious Conflicts. e-book.
[6] Clive James (1993) Fame in the 20th Century. London, BBC Books.
