FICTION
D. Weindling and M. Colloms in the "History of Kilburn and West Hampstead" blog 27 May 2021 (edited version)
FICTION
Quoted by Tom Foot in the "Camden New Journal" 27 May 2021 (edited version)
FICTION
Quoted from the "Daily Telegraph", 2 June 2021 (original version)
FICTION
Quoted by Mark Bridge in The Times, 2 May 2021 (original version)
FACT
The legend was already known in the area in 1950 - and possibly as far back as 1914 - well before the area was earmarked for demolition. Perhaps it was not a myth after all...
These fictions have already been addressed from a different angle, in the link below:
Marianne Colloms and Dick Weindling's assumptions, subsequently disseminated by the local (Camden New Journal) and mainstream press (Times and Daily Telegraph) and then added to Lillie Langtry's page on the 'Pedia, were in fact based on faulty research.
Although Mr. Weindling told Tom Foot of the CNJ that he had been "researching Lillie Langtry on and off for 30 years; that he had gone through all the records, all the newspapers and found nothing" he missed a crucially important piece of evidence which, oddly enough, I found in less than 30 minutes in the British Newspaper Archives ...
This proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the association of Leighton House with Lillie Langtry, was already well known in the area in 1950 - and possibly as far back as 1914 (...)
At the very least, fifteen years before the area was earmarked for demolition in 1965!
Ipso facto, Electra Yaras or "the residents of the house" - as Dick and Marianne diplomatically put it after editing - did NOT "fabricate" the legend of Lillie Langtry association with Leighton House back in 1965 to try and prevent its demolition ...
For all we know, the legend was already in place when the Yaras' bought the lease of Leighton House in January 1946.
Perhaps it was not a myth after all. Perhaps it was true ...
The investigation goes on ...
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