Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Elizabeth WILDE (1897-?)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Elizabeth Wilde, spinal injury patient, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe she was there to discuss her recovery from an illness.
Elizabeth, who was known as Beth, was born in Winterton near Scunthorpe and brought up in Doncaster by her grandparents. At the age of 14, she moved to Willesden and became a member of the Willesden Evangelical Mission, where she taught Sunday School and was captain of the Girls' Life Brigade. She found work as a companion, initially with a family in Hatch End, and later relocated to a position in Littlehampton.
During the Christmas holidays of 1928, Beth suffered a severe fall at a friend's house party, injuring her spine. She spent many years in various hospitals, including seven and a half years at Louth Hospital in Lincolnshire. Unable to walk, Beth had her legs in plaster for 18 years. But as some sensation slowly began to return, she underwent an operation in Chichester, which was successful, and with determination and faith, Beth walked again.
programme details...
- Edition No: 14
- Subject No: 14
- Broadcast live: Sun 22 Apr 1956
- Broadcast time: 7.45-8.15pm
- Venue: BBC Television Theatre
- Series: 1
- Edition: 14
on the guest list...
- Florrie Hughes
- Mrs Allan
- Gwladys Williams
- Mrs Rixon
- Queenie Rixon
- Douglas Windle - cousin
- Rev J W Brown - uncle
- Cicely Kendall
- Sister Doris Morton
- Bertie Taylor
- Mrs Bickle
- Arthur - husband
- Mrs Saunders
- Miss Whitehead
production team...
- Researchers: Peter Moore, Nigel Ward
- Writer: Gale Pedrick
- Director: unknown
- Producer: T Leslie Jackson
examining the medical profession
Series 1 subjects
Eamonn Andrews | Yvonne Bailey | Ted Ray | James Butterworth | C B Fry | Johanna Harris | Donald Campbell | Joe BrannellyStanley Matthews | Henry Starling | Ida Cook | Lupino Lane | Hugh Oloff de Wet | Elizabeth Wilde | Robert Stanford Tuck