This is an amazing and heartwarming story of a very humane person who steadfastly refused to let hardships and disappointments stand between him and happiness.
The autobiography of Conrad Phillips is the story of a man who has achieved the rare goal of remaining true to himself. This is in spite of a life of hugely contrasting experiences which encompass boyhood adventures unhindered by dire poverty, wartime service in the Royal Navy, development as an actor against a panoramic backdrop of celebrities of the day, and a divorce in which he freed himself at the cost of all his material possessions and subsequently found true love.
Through the penetrating honesty of his recollections, Conrad emerges as a man of capability, insight, humanity and warmth. He can describe with compassion anything from his son's forlorn arrival at boarding school, to his first wife's degeneration through drink. His own misfortunes – illness, injury, financial hardships – are related with neither self-pity nor recrimination and receive the light touch of the born story-teller.
Conrad's best known role was as the famous William Tell. He shares with his hero the ability to counterbalance idealistic aspirations with a solid sense of responsibility. 'Aiming true' is a title well chosen; not 'high', but the infinitely more important 'true'.
Over the years, Conrad has rubbed shoulders with countless famous names including Frankie Howerd, Spike Milligan, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Bill Franklyn, Jennifer Jayne, Michael Caine, Alan Freeman and so many more.
Sample text
One evening I received a call from a very distressed Carole who told me that Michael had come home from filming a beer commercial for Double Diamond and was blind drunk. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation, would I mind coming over to help out. Michael was practically unconscious, slumped in a chair, white-faced and moaning. Not at all well. It transpired that the director, Dougie Hickox had done about 15 takes, and each time Michael had to down his drink in each take. Carole and I got him into bed. By now he was sleeping soundly; we made him comfortable and quietly withdrew. Carole asked me if I would like to stay for a spot of supper, which I accepted as a splendid idea. After the meal, I was chatting away with Carole, when suddenly the door opened. Michael stood there, looking like the figure of death, gently swaying. He focused blearily on us and in a weak voice started to sing: "A Double Diamond works wonders, works wonders…" A well-known advertising jingle of the times. I stayed for one more drink – Michael declined.
"Skeoch - Our new life on a Scottish hill farm" and its prequel, "A Bolt For Freedom" both written by Conrad's wife, Jennie, are also available on Amazon.
The autobiography of Conrad Phillips is the story of a man who has achieved the rare goal of remaining true to himself. This is in spite of a life of hugely contrasting experiences which encompass boyhood adventures unhindered by dire poverty, wartime service in the Royal Navy, development as an actor against a panoramic backdrop of celebrities of the day, and a divorce in which he freed himself at the cost of all his material possessions and subsequently found true love.
Through the penetrating honesty of his recollections, Conrad emerges as a man of capability, insight, humanity and warmth. He can describe with compassion anything from his son's forlorn arrival at boarding school, to his first wife's degeneration through drink. His own misfortunes – illness, injury, financial hardships – are related with neither self-pity nor recrimination and receive the light touch of the born story-teller.
Conrad's best known role was as the famous William Tell. He shares with his hero the ability to counterbalance idealistic aspirations with a solid sense of responsibility. 'Aiming true' is a title well chosen; not 'high', but the infinitely more important 'true'.
Over the years, Conrad has rubbed shoulders with countless famous names including Frankie Howerd, Spike Milligan, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Bill Franklyn, Jennifer Jayne, Michael Caine, Alan Freeman and so many more.
Sample text
One evening I received a call from a very distressed Carole who told me that Michael had come home from filming a beer commercial for Double Diamond and was blind drunk. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation, would I mind coming over to help out. Michael was practically unconscious, slumped in a chair, white-faced and moaning. Not at all well. It transpired that the director, Dougie Hickox had done about 15 takes, and each time Michael had to down his drink in each take. Carole and I got him into bed. By now he was sleeping soundly; we made him comfortable and quietly withdrew. Carole asked me if I would like to stay for a spot of supper, which I accepted as a splendid idea. After the meal, I was chatting away with Carole, when suddenly the door opened. Michael stood there, looking like the figure of death, gently swaying. He focused blearily on us and in a weak voice started to sing: "A Double Diamond works wonders, works wonders…" A well-known advertising jingle of the times. I stayed for one more drink – Michael declined.
"Skeoch - Our new life on a Scottish hill farm" and its prequel, "A Bolt For Freedom" both written by Conrad's wife, Jennie, are also available on Amazon.
