Gilbert & Turner

By Chris Towndrow

The death last month of Walter Gilbert, one half of the famous duo of Gilbert and Turner, gives us cause to reflect on the passing into history of a great showbusiness partnership.
Surely the most famous pantomime horse stalwarts of the last fifty years, Gilbert and Turner carved a matchless niche in the industry, and it’s only proper that we take this time to look back over their lives and career.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Towndrow
• Release date: Feb 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005046378

Chris Towndrow

Chris Towndrow has been a writer since 1991.He began writing science fiction, inspired by Asimov, Iain M Banks, and numerous film and TV canons. After a few years creating screenplays across several genres, in 2004 he branched out into playwriting and has had several productions professionally performed. This background is instrumental in his ability to produce realistic, compelling dialogue in his books.His first published novel was 2012’s far-future, post-war space opera “Sacred Ground”. He then changed focus into Earth-centric, near-future sci-fi adventures, and the Enna Dacourt pentalogy was completed in 2023. In a similar vein, “Nuclear Family” was a venture into post-apocalyptic fiction.He has always drawn inspiration from the big screen, and 2019’s quirky romantic black comedy “Tow Away Zone” owes much to the films of the Coen Brothers. This spawned two sequels in what became the “Sunrise trilogy”.His first historical fiction novel, “Signs Of Life”, was published by Valericain Press in 2023. With a number of excellent reviews, this Western romance has been his most popular title.In 2023, Chris returned to his passion for writing accessible humour and will devote his efforts to romantic comedies. Three such scripts are currently in development.Chris lives on the outskirts of London with his family and works as a video editor and producer. He is a member of the UK Society of Authors.

Book preview

Gilbert and Turner

Gilbert & Turner

The Legendary Pantomime Horse Duo

A short story

Chris Towndrow

Valericain Press

The death last month of Walter Gilbert, one half of the famous duo of Gilbert and Turner, gives us cause to reflect on the passing into history of a legendary showbusiness partnership.

Gilbert had been a recluse for much of the time since the death of his partner Carlton Turner six years ago, but that does not detract from what a great man he was—indeed what a great duo they were—and their immeasurable influence on the performing arts.

Undoubtedly the most famous pantomime horse stalwarts of the last fifty years, Gilbert and Turner carved a matchless niche in the industry, and it’s only proper that we take this time to look back over their lives and career.

Walter Gilbert, the older of the two, was born on 8th March 1928, in Drumnadrochit, Scotland. His mother was a freelance salmon eater, and his father worked for the Foreign Office, commuting daily to London from their nine-up one-down cottage in Heather Terrace.

Gilbert was a mediocre student at school, prone to fits of depression characterised by