Former Redruth telegram boy delivered messages to Beatle George Harrison
A REDRUTH man who was one of Britain’s last telegram boys is recording the story of his life, with fond memories of special deliveries to the rich and famous – including Beatle George Harrison. Long before emails, texting and mobile phones, and with many people still without a land-line telephone, the telegram was a much-used means of conveying urgent and important messages.
As a teenager in the 1970s, James Maloney delivered telegrams and now those memories are being revived in his autobiography, which is being ghost-written for him by Falmouth-based Mike Truscott, of Golden Replay Biographies, a former West Briton reporter. The book, now nearing completion, includes this recollection of the near-nude meeting with Lyn Paul, who first came to fame with The New Seekers: ““Lyn lived in the village of Stratfield Saye in Hampshire. The sun was still rising and, after I had rung her doorbell, the lady herself put her head out from the bedroom window above. I was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that she was naked at that moment. “I said: ‘Telegram, Miss Paul.’ She replied: ‘Okay, won’t be a minute.’ Anticipation levels soared. So you can imagine my deflation when the door opened and a man, wearing just his dressing gown, emerged. ‘I’ll give that to Miss Paul,’ he said.” Big names receiving telegrams from James also included legendary comedian Dave Allen, who lived at Woodcote in Berkshire, Beatle George Harrison (Henley), and Danny La Rue (singer and drag impersonator, who owned a pub at Goring-on-Thames).
Listen to the Audio Version of this News Story 
Source: This is Cornwall, UK
