We Shall Not Be Moved

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Phil Waters

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Can anyone remember British wrestling that used to be shown on the old "World Of Sport" program on ITV?

Big Daddy, the undisputed biggest legend of British wrestling, used to make his way to the ring behind a 50-strong marching band to the tune of "We Shall Not Be Moved".

No one ever moved him.
 
Giant Haystacks was actually bigger than Big Daddy in size. Big Daddy was 6' 6" but Haystacks was an astonishing 6' 11"!

I just read that Giant Haystacks, going by the name "Loch Ness Monster" arranged a match with Hulk Hogan in America in 1995, but the arrangement was cancelled due to Haystacks being diagnosed with cancer.

He died in 1998, 1 year after Big daddy passed away.
 
I remember seeing Masambula (spelling?) wrestle in Aberdeen when I was a kid.

(Someone dropped a penny in the street.)
 
I don't remember anyone apart from Big Daddy but I used to love watching it on telly when I was little. Every Saturday was spent with my grandparents, alternating between each set. My Irish nanny used to make the best sausage stew and we'd eat it on our laps in front of the wrestling. The weeks I wasn't watching the wrestling, I was watching the racing on a black and white telly with my other grandad. Great days.
 
My mother's first husband was the UK's best light-middleweight wrestler in the late 1930s to early 1950s. He wrestled under the name Jack Dale (although his real last name was Abbey), and when he retired he formed the Dale part of Dale Martin Promotions, which staged the shows on the old b&w wrestling programmes.

My mother finally managed to wrestle a divorce from him after 5 years of not desperately happy marriage (for her), although she found the life in general fascinating. Film stars would come to see the matches way back then, as did the occasional gangster type, and Jack would sometimes practise a new hold or throw on her at home - she certainly got to know most of them, anyway!
 
Interesting stuff, Jon.

I take it she re-married and to a man of non-violent disposition?
 
Yes, she married my father - John. He was a bright lad who'd gone to sea with his brother Peter, and their father, who held a Square-rig ticket (to captain schooners and the like), sailing to places like Rio when he was just 16. She married him after meeting him in a London club. Keeping to his marine upbringing (he and his family came from Southsea), he joined the RNVR (Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve) and was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boats on Coastal duties (the Channel) during WWII. He was 2nd Lt. on board MTB 671 when it and the two accompanying MTBs were 'engaged' by three German Moewe-class ships off the French coast in April 1944.

An almighty set-to took place, two of the MTBs escaped, battered, back to Portsmouth harbour, but my Dad's was blown to bits when one of the Moewe's decided to turn full guns on it. Only two of the crew of 32 survived - my father wasn't among them.

The sad thing is that while the bodies were retrieved for burial, but my Mother knew none of this, or the frantic phone calls from John's parents and the Navy to inform her, because she'd got appendicitis and been taken to hospital. He was a week buried before she was eventually told. She'd never seen his grave, but last year I drove us down to Haslar Naval Cemetery, a very pretty spot overlooking the Solent, to view it. One grave away was his Lieut. They'd been best man at each other's weddings.

So... after I was born in the December of that year, I was christened 'Jon'. John, without the 'h'. I've got photos of him, and Mother had a very short, but intensely happy, time with him. Apparently he was great fun, confident, witty, charming, bright, and also tall and handsome, too! B)

The Post Script to this is that after his brother Peter returned from POW camp, having been captured after hiding out for three days following the hopeless 'Operation Market Garden' para drop over Arnhem, he courted my Mother and THEY eventually married! He was a smashing bloke, though different in personality to his bro. She's drawn the line at three, though... :blink:
 
:what:

Bloody hell at all that, Jon.

That contained elements of sadness and jubilation.

What a fascinating introduction to the world you had.
 
There was further fun at the font: on hearing I was to be called 'Jon', the vicar looked appalled and said in twee, lisping tones beloved of actors like Alastair Sim: "Ooh, Mrss. Horley, I deon't think we can call her Jon. That'ss neot a Chrisss-tee-an name for a gel, eess eet?"

At which point, Mommie Dearest firmly announced that he could wrestle with his conscience all he liked, I was going to be Jon, and if he didn't want to do the christening, she'd be off and take me elsewhere. Harrumph!

At which he looked desperately about and sought divine help by gazing at the ceiling for a minute. Then, "I kneow what we can sssay, Mrss Horley: we can ssay it'ss a Sscand-eeen-A-VI-AN name, can't we?"

To which the reply, rather unchristianlike, came: "You can call it what you bloody well like, it's still going to be Jon!"
 
Used to watch the wrestling every Saturday with my Dad, and on occassion youngest brother, who would always say it was fixed but I wouldn't hear of it! My favourite was Les Kellett. When he got angry he used to pul his hair forward and slick it down. I can see my Dad laughing now. :)
 
i can remember it

my uncle knew mick mcmanus he was totally different outside the ring to what you may think he was a very intelligent speaker

of course one or 2 have or had resurfaced in america british bulldog and now lord roberts appears on wwe

kendo nagaski was english in reality
 
daddy1.jpg
 
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