Table of Contents

Introduction 9Childhood 15The Gang Show 21Happy Hour 25The Birth of Mrs Shufflewick 27The Windmill 32Television 40The Slippery Slope 46The Waterman's Arms 50On the Move 57Clubs 58Meeting Mrs Shufflewick 61Getting to Know Rex 65Getting 'down and dirty' 69The Comeback 71Mates and Models 77Rex ... the cook 79Pure Corn 80Sunday Lunch at The Black Cap 84Drag Pubs 89The Toupee 90Private Life 92The Icon 96Ups and Downs 98Here's to Rex ... 101Acknowledgements 107Bibliography 108Recordings 109Index 111

About the Author

PATRICK NEWLEY is a longstanding contributor to both The Times and The Stage newspapers. He has also written for The Daily Express and many other publications. A frequent broadcaster for the BBC he was press agent for the writers Quentin Crisp and Robin Maugham. He managed the later careers of both the legendary revue artiste Douglas Byng and the comedian Rex Jameson (Mrs Shufflewick).