









Many happy returns, Mr Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz, 11th April 1932)
CAMP: "A cornucopia of frivolity, incongruity, theatricality, and humour." "A deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love." "The lie that tells the truth." "Ostentatious, exaggerated, affected, theatrical; effeminate or homosexual; pertaining to or characteristic of homosexuals."
Sonja Henie (8th April 1912 – 12th October 1969)
Dame Cicely Courtneidge (1st April 1893 – 26 April 1980)
Billie Holiday (7th April 1915 – 17th July 1959)
Mistinguett (5th April 1873 – 5th January 1956)
Carmen McRae (8th April 1920 – 10th November 1994)
Dame Penelope Keith (born 2nd April 1940)
Alberta Hunter (1st April 1895 – 17th October 1984)
Debbie Reynolds (1st April 1932 – 28th December 2016)
Mary Pickford (8th April 1892 – 29th May 1979)
"Summer Breeze" by Erte - click to enlarge
The Cuckoo Song
(Traditional 13th century)
Sing, cuccu, nu. Sing, cuccu.
Sing, cuccu. Sing, cuccu, nu.
Sumer is i-cumin in—
Lhude sing, cuccu!
Groweth sed and bloweth med
And springth the wude nu.
Sing, cuccu!
Awe bleteth after lomb,
Lhouth after calve cu,
Bulluc sterteth, bucke verteth
Murie sing, cuccu!
Cuccu, cuccu,
Wel singes thu, cuccu.
Ne swik thu naver nu!
OR (in a loose translation/interpretation by American poet Michael R. Burch):
Sing now cuckoo! Sing, cuckoo!
Sing, cuckoo! Sing now cuckoo!
Summer is a-comin'!
Sing loud, cuckoo!
The seed grows,
The meadow blows,
The woods spring up anew.
Sing, cuckoo!
The ewe bleats for her lamb;
The cows contentedly moo;
The bullock roots;
The billy-goat poots ...
Sing merrily, cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo,
You sing so well, cuckoo!
Never stop, until you're through!
Long, light, languid evenings are beckoning, dear reader...