The Young Arthur Goulding

Obituary by Philip and David Williams
On January 26th we received the sad news that Arthur Goulding had passed away. He died just a few weeks short of his 90th birthday at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital on January 17th. Arthur as one member of the Wilton Brothers had worked for Frank Randle. He was of great help to us while we were researching for ‘Wired to the Moon’ and was one of life’s gentlemen. While it was Bob Monkhouse who suggested the title for the book to us and who said, “Randle was a genius but very definitely wired to the moon”, Arthur disagreed saying that Randle was plainly mad, “I was there with him for four years and I think the moon was an excuse, somebody’s fairytale, to my mind he was a straightjacket job”.

Arthur, born in Bradford, Yorkshire on the 25th February 1921, came from a show business background as his mother Lily had initially been a soubrette touring under the name Monica Wilton until taking temporary retirement and raising three children. However, from a very young age the children were all taught to play musical instruments and actively encouraged to perform. So much so that by 1927, when Arthur was just six-years-old, the family were presenting an act entitled ‘The Wilton Brothers and Ma’. The talented brothers, Arthur, Ron and Gordon, could play an assortment of musical instruments including piano accordion, banjo, violin, guitar and drums. By 1933 Arthur was appearing more often with his brothers and introduced a strong element of comedy to their routines. The family joined Randle in 1939 with Arthur’s father Tom acting as the show’s stage manager and Frank’s dresser. Listening to Arthur recall the time spent with Randle during the first four years of World War II and the story which unfolded was one of violence, bullying and drink. Though of course there were also some happy times. Arthur’s mother Lily, under her stage name of Sarah Wilton, was the first person to play ‘Grandma’ to Randle’s ‘Grandpa’ in the stage sketch ‘Grandpa’s Birthday’. The Wilton’s left Randle in 1943 after which Arthur continued as a comedian and a pianist.

Arthur’s home was in the beautiful surroundings of Wroxham, Norwich where he was surrounded by family, friends, memories, his piano and music and his wonderful paintings – he was an excellent artist.

Arthur Goulding's Nature's Garden

(Photos and Obituary courtesy of Philip and David Williams.)

The Wilton Brothers ("introducing their mother") were a popular stage act specialising in musical comedy. Playing a wide range of instruments the highlight of their performance was bringing on their mother who then sang with them. The brothers were born in Bradford Yorkshire and made their stage debut as small children in 1927. Arthur (playing the accordion in picture) spent four years as Frank Randle's comic apprentice starting in Blackpool in 1940. The brothers appeared in three films with Randle: Somewhere in England, Somewhere in Camp and Somewhere in Civvies. Seen here playing the accordion, Arthur Goulding left Randle's Scandals in 1943 and followed a solo career as a comedian and later as a pianist at the Dorchester London. When asked by a journalist what it had been like working with Frank Randle he gave a one-word answer - "Hell!"