"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 28/10/08 16:58, in article
, "Rusty_Hinge"
wrote:

The message
from "Pete Stockdale" contains these
words:
"Sacha" wrote in message
...

Nice. Where's Esther Rantzen when you need her?

Pass. What is she needed for could I ask ?

Ah, bless - I expect you're too young. ;-) She used to do a brief
feature
on 'rude' vegetables.

Ah !
What a lovely comment - I recall it now.
I fear I am regrettably suffering from some sort of faculty
deficiency
more common at the other end of life's spectrum !

Hmmm. I resisted the temptation this year to photograph one of my
tomatoes which had, a, well, er, it was particularly well-endowed, and
for one called Shirley, rather surprising...

However, I might mention
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/spud.jpg

Shirley used to be a male name. And always remember that John Wayne was
christened Marion.......
--

One of the wrestlers, IIRC either Big Daddy or Giant haystacks, was named
Shirley Crabtree.

Steve

Shirley Crabtree was a professional wrestler known as Big Daddy. He was born
on November 30, 1930. His Hometown was Halifax, West Yorkshire. He was
trained by George Hackenschmidt.

Shirley Crabtree had stints as a miner and in the army but followed his
father and became a professional wrestler in 1952.

Shirley had played heel gimmicks, called "The Blonde Adonis", "Mr. Universe"
and the villainous 'Battling Guardsman'. He also won two titles in the
British Wrestling Federation. He quit the sport of wrestling and retired for
15 years. At one time he was in the Guinness Book Of Records for having the
largest chest measurement in the country.

Shirley's brother, Max Crabtree was a powerful wrestling promoter in
England. He brought back his brother to pro wrestling and took on the Big
Daddy persona in 1976, playing the "good guy" and feuding with Mick McManus
& Giant Haystacks. At this time, British wrestling was very popular due to
ITVs World Of Sport. Shirley Crabtree called himself Big Daddy after the
character Burl Ives played in the film Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Crabtree's
wife Eunice made him an eye-catching leotard, emblazoned with a big 'D', out
of their chintz sofa.

Shirley Crabtree adopted a theme tune in the form of "We Shall Not Be Moved"
originally performed by Australian supergroup of the 60's The Seekers, in
1980 Shirley Crabtree recorded his own version on EMI Records backed by rock
guitarist Legendary Lonnie.

One of Shirley Crabtree's career highlights was his feud with Mighty John
Quinn, the huge Canadian arrived in Britain and immediately launched into a
tirade on television branding the British cowards and demanding a showdown
with Daddy. Shirley Crabtree knocked out Quinn in front of 10,000 people at
the Wembley Arena. Shirley Crabtree was offered the chance of his own show.
It was to be called The Big Daddy Show. An unexpected illness forced Daddy
to pull out of the show at the last minute. Shirley Crabtree did alot for
children's charities and raised alot of money. The audience in the crowd
would chant 'Easy!,Easy!' to give him full support as the good guy.

In August 1987 it was the splash which ended his career - in 1987 Big Daddy
'splashed' Mal 'King Kong' Kirk during a bout. Kirk groaned and turned blue.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital, although the coroner's
inquest cleared Crabtree, stressing that Kirk had a serious heart condition.
Big Daddy retired soon after, blaming himself for the accident, and a golden
era of wrestling came to an end. Crabtree died of a stroke in Halifax
General Hospital leaving his second wife of 31 years, Eunice, and six
children, after a peaceful retirement in Halifax, at the age of 67 in
December 1997.