Meeting Maurice
Sumray
by Jilliana
Ranicar-Breese
I first met
Maurice in the late 60’s. I was with Seema
in the York Minister known affectionately as the
‘French’ pub, Soho when we were
accosted by BB standing not for Brigitte Bardot
but Brian the Burglar! BB was with a friend but
we were not interested in being picked up and
wanted to leave. Not having a car, BB shouted to
a funny looking man at the bar. He was wearing a
Greek man’s sea cap and looked creative.
BB persuaded the moody man who was called Maurice
to give us a ride. BB suggested that the four of
us go back to my flat in Craven Hill for coffee.
Once inside my flat Maurice became human and
reasonably friendly. I later found out he was
very selective with people. He was an educated
Jewish professional artist who had moved from
London to St Ives in Cornwell in fact to the
house next door to Barbara Hepworth.
That was the beginning of my long friendship with
Maurice until his death in 2004.
Maurice knew all the Soho characters and their
stories. If only I had paid more attention to
what he had to say but he did ramble on but I was
only in my 20’s and half his age and not
really interested in storytelling.
I was working for Global in the late 60’s
and would meet Maurice regularly at the ‘French’
for a quarter bottle of champagne,on an empty
stomach, before we would go to an Italian
restaurant for dinner. I always felt a bit woozy
because I was not used to drinking.
Maurice was married many years to Pat and the
marriage lasted because he rarely saw her! They
had four children who grew up in his
dysfunctional family.
Maurice used to be in textiles and invented the
jacquard printing technique. He was also a
professional gambler and even paid income tax on
his winnings!
Maurice was an original character and I remember
him fondly.
Written
at Nightingale 30/11/24
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