A tribute to George Formby

A MAN WHO WANTED PEACE
By GEORGIE WOOD IWAS VERY CLOSE to the late 1George Formby because when he was a comparatively unknown act his late wife Beryl persuaded me to top the bill with him at the Palace Theatre. Huddersfield.
Even before that when he was George Hoy. the unsuccessful jockey riding in Ireland, his father used to ask me to keep an eye on the boy. It is a little disturbing to find that Beryl is accused of being an atheist. 1 found that she was one who was most sympathetic towards my own conversion to Catholicism. Indeed as long ago as 1947 when I met Cardinal Gilroy in Sydney through an introduction front our own Cardinal Griffin, Beryl spoke to me at length on the Catholic faith.
I do feel perhaps she was afraid of it as indeed 1 was before God took the decision for me.
We were closely associated throughout the Middle East and India in the war years when we were entertaining the troops.
George was made a member of
the Grand Order of Water Ruts about the same time as myself some 30 years ago but did not attend the Lodge meetings until last December.
Then I found a new and radiant George who although realising that he still had coronary thrombosis to contend with had found a peace which, from the short talk I had with him, seemed to me to indicate that he was about to come back to the Church from which he had lapsed. He was a great and simple artist in his work. Outside he was a shrewd and calculating business man. When he paid tribute to Beryl in his BBC one-man television show last Christmas he was doing justice to one who carved out his successful career. I do not know if he came back into the Church before his death. I do know that he is in my prayers as one who had the sante difficulties that have beset me and who so much wanted the peace that can only be found through the acceptance of the Faith.
Archbishop is 97
Archbishop Mannix of Melbourne was 97 on Saturday, and among the congratulatory messages reaching him from all over the world was one from President de Valera.