VISITING HATTIE – Kenneth Williams returns from the ‘Upstairs Bar’ to give us the hilarious yarn of the spirit of Hattie Jacques haunting the downstairs lavatory of two gay bears.

An actor friend called Adam Trembath from Cornwall who stays at my house when working in London told me after a visit to the bathroom that he found it very difficult “to go”. “Why?” I asked. “Because Hattie keeps looking at me,” he replied. I should explain that on the wall of my bathroom is an array of black and white publicity photographs of favourite comic actors from the Carry On series, including Frankie Howerd, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and, of course, a grinning Hattie Jacques. When Adam told me of his bashful bladder in the presence of her mischievous smile I was in the early planning stages of these ghost stories and so, perhaps not surprisingly, his experience developed into Visiting Hattie. And in my house a ‘visit to Hattie’ has now become the ‘spend-a-penny’ euphemism for a trip to the loo.

Visiting Hattie is a ghost tale that will have a particular interest for the LGBTQ community as it features a character called Billie Blooming who speaks the historic gay language of Polari.

"A ghost story told with wit and imagination from Steve Nallon, whose ability to impersonate political and show business personalities is matched by his writing skills in inhabiting the characters in this paean to Carry On films. A genuine knowledge of the films and fondness for the usual suspects pervade this yarn. Noted for her warmth, sense of fun and lover of all things (and people) camp, how the mischievous Miss Jacques would have loved Visiting Hattie."

Andy Merriman, author of Hattie Jacques: The Authorised Biography

"As well as being one of Britain’s best and best-loved comedy performers, by all accounts Hattie Jacques was the personification of kindness. There was always a saucy tinkle at play too, and in this beguiling short story Steve Nallon not only captures her bewitching, compassionate nature, but hints at the playful sexiness that beats within the heart of her greatest performances. Reading Visiting Hattie is like a warm hug. Much like watching Hattie Jacques."

Robert Ross, author of The Carry On Companion