Supper to a hero

It's the same story in tracing Lawrence of Arabia's connection with the Black Country. First-hand accounts have passed into history but many people knew others who met the great man.

As we reported last week, the First World War hero made a series of secret visits to Wolverhampton in 1934 on business with the Park Lane engineering firm Henry Meadows.

We featured an old photograph of Lawrence's autograph. He signed himself "T E Shaw", the pseudonym he used after the war when he served in the RAF as a humble aircraftsman. But where was this priceless autograph written?

Eighty-six-year-old Kathleen Sullivan of Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, has the answer. It comes from an autograph book once owned by her sister-in-law, Stella Westwood, whose father worked at Henry Meadows.

Stella persuaded him to take the book to work where "Aircraftsman Shaw" signed it.

Lodged

"She had all sorts of autographs in that book," says Mrs Sullivan, whose husband Bill was service manager at the Meadows factory in the Second World War when it expanded massively to produce Rolls-Royce engines for British warplanes.

"I remember she had the signatures of Joan Crawford, Maurice Chevalier, Ted Ray and many more."

But long after the Express & Star photographed the "T E Shaw" signature the book disappeared. It was spotted years later in a second-hand bookshop in Wolverhampton but has since vanished.

As the Express & Star reporter Wilfred Byford-Jones discovered in January 1934, Lawrence of Arabia lodged at Perry's tea rooms, 36 Queen Street, Wolverhampton, during his low-profile visits.

At the cafe he would discuss football and the weather with other customers who had no idea who he was. At Henry Meadows, he sat cross-legged on the floor, Arab-style, to study the firm's engines and gearboxes.

Ken Rudge of Bushbury recalls his father, Frank, telling how he met "Shaw" in Perry's tea rooms. Frank remarked to the stranger: "I've come all the way from Chapel Ash for this meal."

"I've come all the way from overseas," smiled Lawrence.

Gwen Fletcher of Sedgley was a little girl when her father, Harry Gaiger an engineer at Meadows, was presented to Lawrence in 1934. It was a meeting of heroes. Lawrence had united the Arabs to fight for Britain in the First World War. Harry, a stretcher bearer, had won the Military Medal for rescuing an officer under fire on the Western Front.

"I don't remembering Dad saying much about it at the time," says Gwen. "He talked about it more in later life to the grandchildren. He said Lawrence was very interested in motorbikes."

Betty Darcy of Tettenhall, 85, remembers a day at St John's School in Cleveland Street in 1934 when nine-year-old Alan Perry, son of the tea-room owner, showed off Lawrence's signature in his autograph book.

"He was very proud of it and we were all jealous," she recalls.

Chris Hutchings of Wombourne says his grandfather, Sid Pitt, was landlord at The Posada in Lichfield Street during the 1930s.

Chris's mother Sylvia told the story of her father's involvement of a "hush-hush" visit when the pub arranged a private dinner for Lawrence and Henry Meadows.

Success

"The Posada was apparently chosen as the press would never have suspected that a man of such stature was to be found dining in a town centre pub in Wolverhampton of all places," says Chris.

"Lawrence of Arabia was indeed wined and dined in The Posada. The plan to thwart the local press and was a complete success.

"My mother's claim to fame was that she actually served soup to Lawrence of Arabia - although she didn't know it at the time."

Bob Anslowe of Tettenhall remembers a discussion at Bloxwich Golf Club more than 40 years ago when the film Lawrence of Arabia had just been released.

"To my surprise, another member said that he had served in the RAF with Lawrence and had got to know him well. He said Lawrence had come to visit him twice in Wolverhampton.

"That man was Henry Meadows Junior," says Bob. "Apparently he had corresponded with Lawrence for a while.

"One of the other members was a cinema manager and asked if he could borrow some of the letters to display in his foyer to go with the film but he said, no, they were far too precious.

"Henry said Lawrence was a very quiet character who almost seemed to want to suffer.

"For instance, he would start the day with just one sausage and then eat nothing else all day, as though he was deliberately making life hard for himself.

"So I've shaken hands with a man who shook hands with Lawrence of Arabia," says Bob.

"It's my one claim to fame."

Popular stories:

• High life view of the future

• Brum's bull in denim

• Find bargains with StarBidz

• School to take pupils a year early

• Homes for slum area