The primrose story
Beryl Vertue describes Spike's habit of locking himself
in his office when he was feeling depressed:
"There was a period where he was obviously depressed
and upset and tired and everything and he had stayed in
the office for days and days. If you banged on the door,
which you didn't like to do, he'd just shout and say, 'Go
away'. Well anyway one day I thought well I've had enough
of this, I'll see what's going on. So I knocked on the door
and then a much more feeble voice came out - he would either
do a shouting voice or a very weak voice. 'Yes, who is it?'
and I said, 'It's Beryl... I just wanted to say I've brought
you something and I wanted to show it to you'. 'What is
it?'
"I said, 'Well, if you open the door I'll show it
to you". So eventually he opens the door and it's all
dark, it's all the blinds down and these incense sticks
and he just looked all tired and unshaven and everything
and he said 'What is it?' and I said, 'It's Spring outside
and you're missing it so I've brought you some primroses'.
So I gave him this little bunch of primroses and I'd already
put them in a vase and, well, he was touched by it actually
and he said, 'Thank you', and he put them on the edge of
the desk like that and he lifted the blind up just enough
to get the sunlight to come on it, just enough, and he said,
'That's lovely, thank you', and then I left. But the next
day he did leave the office."
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Beryl Vertue being interviewed by
Jane Milligan |
