Children of Maud and Henry Armstrong

SECOND-LIEUT. DENYS ARMSTRONG.

Second-Lieut. Denys Armstrong, N.F. (T.F.) was killed on October 3rd. He was the son of Mr H. Armstrong, general secretary of the Y.M.C.A., Newcastle. He was a student at Armstrong College, and apprenticed at Messrs Swan, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson's, studying as a naval architect. He was educated at Bootham School. Two other sons of Mr Armstrong are serving abroad. Second-Lieut. H. Armstrong, in the same battalion as Denys, and Second-Lieut. Reginald Armstrong, in the D.L.I.

DENYS ARMSTRONG, second lieutenant, fell in action on October 3rd. The day before he had been hit in the hand, but refused to go back, and led his men successfully across No Man's Land. On the 3rd he was wounded by a shell, and a man was dressing his wound when a second shell came and killed both of them. Officers and men had grown very fond of 'Snowball.' We could trust him absolutely, and he was so frank and warm-hearted that one could not but love him. He was just as greatly liked and admired by the cadets, and he wielded a remarkable influence for good amongst them.

DR. R. ARMSTRONG AND MISS P.A. FENWICK

The engagement is announced between Reginald Armstrong, M.B., B.S., Rothbury, Northumberland, and Phyllis Alison, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Fenwick, Embleton Hall, Long Framlington, Northumberland.

Dr. Reginald Armstrong, to whom Miss Fenwick is engaged, is a former Rugby International. He was "capped" some five or six years ago as a member of the English team.

Miss McCracken's brother, Dr. Reginald Armstrong, delighted the local audience as Colonel Colin Craven, the warmly enthusiastic neighbour who supports the efforts of a young couple, newly arrived in the neighbourhood, to make a success of small-holding.

Dr. Reginald Armstrong is chairman of Rothbury British Legion—his wife is chairman of the women's section.

RETIREMENT OF DR. REGINALD ARMSTRONG, ROTHBURY

Doctor Armstrong retired on the 31st December last after 44 years of devoted service in Rothbury and the surrounding district.

In response to many requests a presentation to Dr. Armstrong is being organised in gratitude for all he has done.

Donations will be most welcome and may be sent or handed to [three names and addresses follow]

It is hoped to make the presentation during February. Each subscriber will be notified of the place, date and time.

R.G. BOLAM.

England player dies aged 70

VETERANS of rugby in the North will mourn the death of Dr. Reginald Armstrong, of Rothbury, a former outstanding player with Medicals and Northern, and an England International.

Dr. Armstrong, who was 70, qualified at Durham University, and was in practice in Rothbury for 45 years.

He gained a distinguished career on the rugby field with both the Medicals and Northern rugby clubs, and it was while he played for Northern that he was selected to play for England against Wales in 1925.

He was also well known in military circles and saw active service in both world wars.

Award

In World War I he served with the Durham Light Infantry, and, in the last war, was a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

He was awarded the OBE for his services.

Throughout his medical career, Dr. Armstrong was a prominent member of Northumberland Local Medical Committee, the Newcastle and Northern Counties Medical Society, and the Newcastle Obstetrical and Gynæcological Society.

ROTHBURY BRIDE.

Wedding of Miss Esther Helen Armstrong.

Rothbury Parish Church was decorated with lilac and lilies this afternoon, for the marriage of Miss Esther Helen Armstrong, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Armstrong, of Rothbury (formerly of Newcastle), and Mr. Angus Murray McCracken, second son of Dr. and Mrs. James Smith McCracken, of 169, Westmorland Road, Newcastle.

The service was choral, and the ceremony was performed by the Rev. H.G. Cutter, assisted by Canon Edward Rees, D.D.

Given away by her father, the bride wore a gown of ivory georgette, beaded in pearl and silver, with narrow headed panels hanging from the low waistline. Her veil of tulle, which formed the train, was held in place by a coronet of orange blossom and silver, and her bouquet was of shaded ivory and pink roses.

There were three bridesmaids—Miss Betty Armstrong (sister of the bride), Miss Esther Clapham (cousin of the bride), and Miss Clare Crawford—in frocks of shaded orchid taffetas and blue net. They wore caps of tulle and shaded French flowers, and pendants of crystal, the gifts of the bridegroom, and carried bouquets of lavender and rose sweet peas.

The bride's mother was in black satin marocain, with an osprey trimmed toque of swathed satin, and her bouquet was of carnations. The mother of the bridegroom wore old gold marocain, and a flower-trimmed hat of golden fawn straw.

Dr. Rex Armstrong (brother of the bride) of Rothbury, was best man.

The ceremony was followed by a reception at the County Hotel, Rothbury, after which the bride and bridegroom left for a motor tour in Scotland. The bride travelled in a suit of lettuce green, with touches of appliqued mauve, and a moleskin and fox wrap coat.

A list of the presents will appear in to-morrow's "North Mail."

ESTHER McCRACKEN, the young Tyneside singer and poetess, who has broadcast her own dialect songs on several occasions, has now written a short one-act play which is to be broadcast from Newcastle to-night at 6-30. The play is called "The Willing Spirit"; the situation is a simple domestic one, and the setting is on Tyneside

VERSATILE Esther McCracken—song-writer and singer, comedienne, playwright and producer—is making a solo appearance before the Northern microphone to-night. She will render a number of her own Tyneside monologues and songs, including the famous "Visit to Whitley Bay," with its haunting refrain: "I brought you out to enjoy yourselves and enjoy yourselves you shall."

THE AUTHORITIES DID NOT LOSE

Her husband had usually taken out the licence, but as he was now in the forces the matter had been overlooked, was the statement made by Mrs. Esther H. McCracken, 36 Grosvenor Place, Newcastle, when stopped by P.C. McDonald because she was driving a motor car which did not display a Road Fund licence in force.

P.C. McDonald stated that he was in Bridge Street at 5.55 on April 1 when he noticed a car which bore an expired Road Fund licence. It had expired on December 31, 1941. When he drew Mrs. McCracken's attention to the licence, she appeared amazed and stated that she was sorry.

Inspector Stanwix: It must be stated that the licence was immediately taken out for the full period, so the authorities have not lost anything.

A fine of 10/- was imposed.

Playwright's Husband Dies

The death is announced, from wounds received in Italy, of Lt.-Col. Angus M. McCracken, D.S.O., M.C., of the Royal Artillery. Col. McCracken was the husband of the playwright Esther McCracken, who wrote "Quiet Week End" and "Quiet Wedding."

He won the Military Cross and was mentioned in despatches in the last war. His D.S.O. was awarded for gallantry on the Salerno beaches.

City playwright to wed again

The Newcastle playwright, Mrs. Esther McCracken, author of "Quiet Wedding," is to be married quietly shortly to Mr. Mungo Campbell, also of Newcastle, shipowner and direct of the Repairs and Salvage Division for the Ministry of Transport.

Mrs. McCracken is the widow of Lieut.-Colonel Angus Murray McCracken, D.S.O., M.C., a former chartered accountant in the city, who died of wounds received in Italy last December. She has two daughters.

For some months earlier in the war, she was a driver in the W.R.N.S., and acted as chauffeur to Rear-Admiral Sir Wellwood Maxwell, who is to give her away at her wedding.

NEW PLAY

Other successful plays she has written for the stage of "Quiet Week-end" and "Living Room."

Her newest play, "No Medals," is to have a pre-London presentation in Newcastle next month.

Mr. Campbell, who is a bachelor and an old family friend, is head of the firm of Mungo Campbell and Co., Ltd., Newcastle, and was appointed to the Ministry of War Transport in 1942. He is a member of the North of England Shipowners' Association, the Newcastle Protection and Indemnity Association and the local branch of the Navy League.

Esther Helen McCracken (40), playwright, was fined 7s 6d for keeping a dog without a licence at Cleugh End, Scrainwood, on August 12.

P.C. Taylor stated that defendant told him she had overlooked the matter. He saw the dog, a white bull terrier, when he called at the house. Defendant was not in but her daughter was, and she could not find the licence. Later defendant told him she had forgotten to take it out.

A letter was read out from the defendant apologising for her omission to get the licence.

ESTHER McCRACKEN, most successful of British women playwrights, returns to the West End stage very shortly with Cry Liberty, a new comedy of manners. As with Quiet Week-end and No Medals the theme is simple and acutely contemporary, in this case the struggles of a young couple against the writhings of the red tape-worm. Mrs. McCracken is the wife of Mungo Campbell, the Newcastle shipowner, and lives with her husband and two daughters on their farm by the Roman wall at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland.

TYNESIDE novellist and playwright Esther McCracken will preside at the Newcastle branch of the RSPCA in Brunswick Methodist Chapel on Tuesday.

Since her marriage, Miss McCracken prefers to be known as Mrs. Mungo Campbell, and it is that name which appears in the programme for the meeting.

Her voice is already known to thousands of Northerners, for she used to compere the Wot Cheor Geordie shows on the BBC.

She gave up that job some years ago when travelling from place to place to record the show each week became too much for her.

Club: English-Speaking Union

Address: Rothley Lake, Hartburn, Morpeth, Northumberland; Scots Gap 255

ESTHER McCRACKEN

Playwright and actress

Esther McCracken, who died on Monday night at the age of 69, was a dramatist who held up to nature a distorting mirror in which her subject, the English upper middle class, delightfully recognized itself.

Born Esther Helen Armstrong, in Newcastle upon Tyne on June 25, 1902, she was educated at Central Newcastle High School. In 1929 she joined the Newcastle Repertory Company with which she played until the success of Quiet Wedding, her second play, brought her to London in the role of Marcia Brent.

Quiet Wedding was preceded by The Willing Spirit in 1936, and followed by Counter Attraction in 1938 and White Elephants in 1940, neither of which rivalled it in appeal to the public. Quiet Weekend, in 1941, however, surpassed her earlier success and ran for over a thousand performances in the West End, its authoress playing the parts of Ella Spender, Marcia Brent and Mary Jarrow one after the other during its run. Her later plays—Living Room, in 1943, No Medals, in 1944 and Cry Liberty in 1950—were more ambitiously serious. But it was her kindly  caricatures of middle-class life, manners and ethics which, on the screen after their success on the stage, endeared her to audiences who, as war first threatened, then raged, endured her glimpses of cosy normality tilted into gentle, good-natured absurdity.

After the death of her husband, Lieutenant-Colonel Angus McCracken, in 1943 Esther McCracken married Mr Mungo Campbell.

ESTHER McCRACKEN

ESTHER McCRACKEN, the playwright, who died on August 9, aged sixty-nine, contributed three long-running entertainments to the West End scene: "Quiet Wedding," which came to Wyndham's in 1938 and ran for more than two hundred performances, "Quiet Week-end," also at Wyndham's, which opened in 1941 and ran for more than a thousand performances, and "No Medals," which, opening in 1944 at the Vaudeville, with Fay Compton in the leading part, ran for seven hundred and forty performances.

Before her success as a playwright, Miss McCracken acted in repertory at Newcastle. Though writing plays was almost a sideline to her private domestic married life, she had real craft and a sure touch in creating living, if somewhat shallow, characters. She saw middle-class life cosily, but she had humour and an eye for telling details of the everyday existence of ordinary people, and she could make gentle fun of the folk her audiences warmed to, seeing themselves upon the stage.

NO REFLECTING MIRROR

Elizabeth Maud McCracken, married woman, 53 Moorside South, Newcastle, was fined 5/- for not having a reflecting mirror on her motor car, at Morpeth, on January eighth.

P.C. Davenport stated that the car was not fitted with a reflecting mirror. She told him it had fallen off two days before.