On 24 Jul 2011 at 7:17pm Rod Light wrote:
Hi Zola, I remember Pete and Pru when I was a child they used to come to our house in Lewes about once a fortnight for dinner. They were very close friends of my mother and father, and had been since their early twenties. I still have some photographs of Pete taken I think by Pru on the beach at Brighton with my parents. I had a lot of other photo's, mostly of Pete either dressed in his cowboy gear or as a highway man. I have one particular memory of Pru coming up to my bedroom when I was ill in bed putting her large hand bag on the bed I remarked that it was very heavy she opened the bag and took out what to me appeared a very large revolver, of the type you see in cowboy films. I asked if I might hold it, which she let me do, but told me "don't put your finger on the trigger Roddy because it is loaded"! I have lots of other memories of them. We always refered to them as aunt and uncle although they were not relatives of ours just very close friends. They seemed to us, my sisters and I, very exotic.
On 25 Jul 2011 at 9:41am Huh? wrote:
Zola? Pete? Pru? Who? Loaded revolver? Children? Exotic? What!? Nutters more like
On 25 Jul 2011 at 11:33am Zola. wrote:
Hi Rod.
Exotic is the word I would use about Prue especially.
And Yes,she did carry a revolver in her handbag....I didn't know it was loaded though.
I have a vague memory of when they moved into Undercliff House,of going up into the 'tower' and the stunning views of Lewes that met my eyes.
I was very little....
After Lewes they moved to The Golden Horse in Golden Cross where they ran a dude ranch for would be cowboys.
I have some Pathe Gazzette footage somewhere of what they got up to.
I will find it and see if I can post it on here.
They now both live in Canada.
On 25 Jul 2011 at 12:20pm Wiggins wrote:
You seem to have mistaken this as an email client
On 25 Jul 2011 at 1:34pm Zola wrote:
Have I?
As far as I am concerned this is a legit comment to a thread on here a while back.
What's this about an email client? Can you expain please Wiggins?
Thanks.
On 25 Jul 2011 at 1:53pm Wiggins wrote:
No, go ahead, would be better if this forum software could be updated so you could reply to the original thread making it easier for all to understand what this new one is about
On 25 Jul 2011 at 3:07pm Zola wrote:
Ah I see.Fair enough Wiggins. I would also like an edit button to rectify the odd smelling pistake....
On 25 Jul 2011 at 7:16pm Rod Light wrote:
Zola, I remember the Golden Horse Ranch, my sister Deb and I spent many happy hours there mucking out stables with a promise from Pete of a surprise when we had finished. The surprise was more stables! Have you seen the item on them in the spy musuem in Essex? You can access it on line. yes I know about Canada the last I heard they were living near Red Dear, Alberta.
On 25 Jul 2011 at 7:48pm Zola wrote:
Yes,I know all about the spy stuff. My son recently aquired his book.
Interesting stuff.
Still looking for the Pathe Gazette footage.
There were 2 films.One of his little 'shop' in the High Street,(near where Snippets is now) and the 2nd about the Golden Horse ranch.
I wish I could find them....
I think they moved from Alberta...Now they live near Banff.
I will write to Pete and tell him you have replied. Ok?
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:14pm jonnyboy wrote:
The films Zola's talking about are: hXXp://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=47019 and hXXp://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=844
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:14pm Decent Citizen wrote:
Why not use Facebook. This is a discussion forum open to all, not for two peoples conversation. You obviously do not wish to let us know who this is about! As I said, Facebook or some such!
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:19pm Rod Light wrote:
We have found the Pathe News clips you mention - if you enter Pete Mason, Lewes, it will take you to Pathe News short and from there you can get Golden Horse Ranch, another short film. Please do tell them that I often think of them and wonder how they are. I am not entirely convinced about the spy stuff, they were outragous practical jokers!! Concocting incredible tall stories to planting a small explosive charge under neath a friends car to blow his silencer and exhaust system off when they were on their way home one evening! I could never understand what they did, one week they would come to dinner in an old VW Beetle, a fortnight later they would come in a Bentley!
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:28pm Rod Light wrote:
Decent Citizen this is about Pete and Pru Mason as the title suggests, they should be of interest to a lot of older Lewes people. They were well known for riding into Lewes in full Western Regalia including guns to do their shopping, two Pathe News shorts were made about them. One episode of the Jack Hargreaves series Out Of Town was about them there have been articles in many news papers including the times about them, and there have been many articles in various books about them, they were true eccentrics. Apparantly ruthless Nazi hunter killers spies for Great Britain, circus performers, Pru was a very talented up and coming ice skater in her youth, they were both gifted artists in many fields. Lewes should be proud of them having been residents of the town. Sadly people like these are no longer valued in our drab regimented society. You can join in our discussion any time you like if you have anything of value to add!
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:30pm Zola wrote:
Er...It is 6 people actually Decent Citizen but I take your point.
Thanks for pointing this out.
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:30pm Rod Light wrote:
Jonnyboy - thank you for the film links
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:33pm jonnyboy wrote:
There was a programme about Capt. Peter Mason on TV and, and if I remember correctly, at the end of the war (he was too young to serve during) he joined an elite troop who hunted down war criminals in Germany. Those captured faced summary execution. His name has also been mentioned as a possible model for James Bond!
On 25 Jul 2011 at 8:59pm Zola wrote:
Yes thanks for that Jonnyboy.
Also I don't suppose there is anyone old enough to remember this but my Grandma and Grandad Mason ( Lily and Tom ) ran the Volunteer public House for around 25 years.Leaving in the mid 60s. Pete was their youngest.
Tommy, Ron (my Dad ) and Auntie Mo were the other children.
I can remember the fine interior...The snug bar and the general fun of the place.So many of these fine old pubs in Lewes no longer exist now.
The Volly bears no resemblence to how I remember it as a child....
On 25 Jul 2011 at 9:06pm jonnyboy wrote:
What about the parrots?
On 25 Jul 2011 at 9:46pm Peter Pan wrote:
If my memory serves me right Pru used to ride a big white horse down Cliffe High Street in full cowgirl costume, complete with Colt 45 and long blonde hair enough to sexually damage a young apprentice at Martins Garage for the rest of his life. I think they had a cowboy club half way up School Hill on the right. Pete also claimed to be an ex-Sheriff of Tomestone Arizona. They also used to teach the kid's to shoot the colt 45 in the chalk pits at Offham
Excuse the spelling and grammar. I went to Mountfield Road Secondary!
On 25 Jul 2011 at 9:53pm Zola wrote:
I remember them !!
There were all sorts...A big white one with an urgent head crest,a colourful big blue and green one...An African Grey...In a back room and they were allso foul mouthed they were not allowed in the pub.
I do remember a guy with a big microphone taping them for a telly or radio programme.They really were all very rude to the punters....
On 26 Jul 2011 at 8:24pm Jimbo wrote:
Hi all, I'm Jim, the son of Ron Mason who is the nephew of Pete.
I've been keen on seeing these Pathe shorts ever since my dad told me about them. If any of you have any further info ref the Jack Hargreaves - Out Of Town programme it would be nice to get to see this too.
Just told my dad that he can finally see the Pathe films again and he's absolutely chuffed !