Lady Hit-Paraders

All over England last week, people were whistling in pubs and dancing in ballrooms to a tune written by two old ladies. Cruising Down the River was No. 2 on the English hit parade. Its gooey lyrics:

If you will go along with me, we'll travel with the tide

And I will always keep you on the sheltered side.

However rough the way may be, the waters dark and low

Through all the stormy weather I will always steer you home.

Cruising down the river . . .*

Cruising was written by stout, spinsterish Eily Beadel (who calls herself "officially 48"), a retired music-hall accordionist, and her chum, greying, triple-chinned Nellie ("Tolly") Tollerton, a onetime actress of the silent films. Eily lives with her twelve-year-old cat, "Spot," in Hammersmith, and Tolly Tollerton lives with her husband, who is a Swedish foot juggler.

The two met ten years ago when they were both billed to sing and play at a dinner in a conservative English club. They began writing songs which never got any further than the three-piece ladies' band (violin, viola and piano) which

Tolly conducts at a decorous tea shop in Wimbledon. Last fall they wrote Cruising and entered it in a contest; it won first prize over 58,000 entries. It has now sold over 380,000 copies of sheet music, and earned -L-5,000 in royalties.

Eily still takes her crocheting down to afternoon tea at the restaurant where Tolly's trio--which specializes in light classics--will play Cruising only by request. The two chums have already written a new Skaters' Waltz, but, says Eily, "We'll never write another Cruising. It was just a flash in the pan."

* Copyright 1945 by Cinephonic Music Co., Ltd., 100 Charing Cross Road, London. Written and composed by Eily Beadel and Nellie Tollerton.

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