Maurice Wilkinson was born in Albany Road, Nether Edge on the 23rd of January 1921, the only son of Norman and Ellen Wilkinson (nee Elshaw).  Educated at Miss Cawood’s Infant School, 35 Crescent Road, Miss Young’s school, Adelaide Road and from 1932 Dronfield Grammar School.  Maurice also received private tuition in elocution and ballet.

From 1938 the family home was numbers 2 and 3 Kenwood Avenue (off Montgomery Road) which his parents ran as the Southlands Hotel.  After a short period working there, Maurice - at the suggestion of his dance teacher - auditoned successfully for the Anglo-Polish ballet, moving with the company to London.  Whilst there he met with theatrical impresario and producer Emile Littler, following which he was selected as a dancer in Littler's Palace Theatre production of 'Song of Norway', an operetta based on the life of the composer Edvard Grieg.  Other West End appearances included the musical 'Brigadoon' at Her Majesty's Theatre (1949), followed by UK touring productions.

Maurice joined the RAF in 1942 (as Aircraftman, later Leading Aircraftman), leaving in 1946.  On returning to Sheffield he worked as a clerk in the employment exchange.  He later helped run the family hotel business until his retirement in 1991.  Maurice died in Sheffield on the 13th August 2019.

Maurice's personal journals 1938-1961 are held at Sheffield Archives (ref. X1058).

The lady on the right-hand side on the second row (with overall and turban on) is Joan Pearson nee Tomlinson born 1921, who worked at Batchelors all her life from being aged 14 years. (Information from her niece Lyn Howsam.)