Ivy Benson remembered in Holbeck

A view of Cemetery Road, Holbeck, with the city in the background

Ivy Benson, the swing band leader, is to be remembered by a blue plaque in Holbeck.

Leeds Civic Trust is on the look-out for stories and information about the Leeds musician.

The plaque unveiling is set for the summer of 2011.

Veronica Lovell, who is researching Ivy's life and times for the trust, said: "It's a great story and great for Holbeck. She was no mean musician."

Ivy Benson was born in Leeds in 1913.

The plaque will be on a house in Cemetery Road, Holbeck at an address where she lived as a child. She also went to school in the area.

Veronica said:"Ivy lived as a baby with her parents at the Malt Shovel pub on Headrow. It was her grandparent's pub and is now demolished."

Suitable site

So the search was on for a suitable site because as Veronica admits: "There's got to be a place for a plaque."

Veronica struggled for a long time to track down a suitable address for Ivy and had consulted many sources with no luck. Then she decided to take yet another look around. This time she found a wartime register of electors and it included Ivy's father.

This produced an address and happily the house was still standing.

Ivy's career got off to an early start, she was already reportedly playing in local clubs as a young girl with the nickname Baby Benson. She left school at an early age and went to work at Montague Burton's.

An accomplished musician, Ivy found that World War Two gave her a chance to break into the world of big bands as many men went to join the forces. Ivy Benson and Her All Girls Orchestra took off and even became the BBC's resident dance band in 1943.

After the liberation of Europe Ivy's band was specifically requested by General Montgomery to go out and play to the troops.

Variety greats

Her band featured with many of the era's variety greats including names like Max Miller and Hylda Baker.

Hundreds of women played with the orchestra during the 40 years Ivy led the band.

She also featured on TV's This is Your Life with her story told by Eamonn Andrews.

Veronica actually met Ivy Benson in the late 1980s when the bandleader was awarded an honour by what is now the Leeds Metropolitan University.

On that day Ivy told Veronica some stories of her adventures, especially about trying to keep track of a full band of 'her girls'.

Ivy remembered once that while playing to US troops in Germany one of the musician's said 'there's Archie!' put down her trombone and disappeared into the crowds never to be seen by the band again!

Despite changing musical tastes Ivy's band continued to play on into the 1980s. Work included appearing in many summer seasons on the Isle of Man.

Ivy retired to Clacton where she died in 1993.

If you have any memories of Ivy Benson and her music email [e-mail] and we'll forward it to Veronica.