1142 days ago
Glamorous great Aunt Anna Lee, the British Bombshell, was in the film, How Green was my valley. Not a lot of people know that. Anyhow, the grass on top of the new earth bank and around the Ha-Ha is now, after two weeks of rain but two days of sunshine really starting to push through. Earlier today there were still two small puddles on top but they willbe gone by tonight so burning hot is the sun here in Wales today. Only kidding.
1524 days ago
Maude Winnifrith was born in 1875 and was my great grandmother. Her children included my grandfather, Sir John Winnifrith and the actress Anna Lee – once known as the British Bombshell. But who was Maude? The mystery has intrigued the family for decades and this week I hope to solve it once and for all with the assistance of a retired vicar in Oxfordshire, my father and two DNA tests.
1842 days ago
My father’s cousin, the actor Jeffrey Byron, posted this shot from Fort Apache on the internet the other day, The movie was directed by his Godfather John Ford who often cast his mum, my great Aunt in his films. Anna Lee, born Joan Winnifrith, is on the far left. Pre-war Lee was dubbed “The British Bombshell” in Hollywood. It is hard to think of anyone in my family earning that epithet.
