Acting couple read aloud love letters

ACTOR Simon Williams and his wife Lucy Fleming appeared on a Valentine’s edition of Gyles Brandreth's podcast.

The couple, who live in Nettlebed, read out some of the wartime love letters between Lucy’s parents.

The correspondence details the relationship between her mother Celia Johnson, the actress and star of Brief Encounter, and her father Peter Fleming, writer and older brother of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond.

The letters were written from 1940 until VE Day while Peter was in Burma and India, working for Lord Wavell, and Celia was at home looking after their young son and becoming known as a film actress.

In one of the letters, Celia describes her reaction to being offered the part of Laura in Brief Encounter.

She wrote: “Darling Mr Flem, I had lunch with Mr [Noël] Coward, who read me his new film he wants me to be in. There is no getting away from the fact that it is a very good part and one that I would like to play.

“It’s about a woman married and with two children who meets by chance a man in a railway waiting room and they fall in love and it’s all no good.”

In one of his letters, Peter describes a visit to his station in Burma by his famous brother in January 1945.

He wrote: “My dear Celia, Ian appeared here on New Year’s Eve being very funny and sensible as usual and we had many hearty laughs and lots of curry and fish cakes.

“Burma at present is a piece of cake. Very few of the enemy with very inferior guns and no aeroplanes... Also lovely weather.”

Lucy and Simon read these letters live on stage in their show Posting Letters to the Moon, which is currently touring the UK.