I chanced on this motley collection of documents some years ago in the course of my work clearing furniture from an abandoned studio apartment in South East London
At the time it was an unremarkable, routine job – clearing the junk left by a tenant who’d flitted. There was nothing of any note; a bed, a chair, a desk and a lot of empty wine bottles. The furniture was dilapidated and worthless but the desk drawers were locked and there were clearly items inside.
Utterly trivial detritus of an anonymous life of no consequence
I sprung the locks and found a number of handwritten journals and sheaves of pages. Tied with strings and elastic bands, some of the papers were attached or inserted into the hardback journals, others bundled separately. In amongst all this were letters in envelopes received from correspondents, letters written but never posted, photographs, drawings, ticket stubs and receipts of all manner.
In short, it was the utterly trivial detritus of an anonymous life of no consequence and of no interest to me or, I might think, anyone else who was not a part of it.
Fact or fiction?
Then I fell ill and found myself confined to bed and lacking a book to read. I had one of the curious journals to hand and so, more out of boredom than anything else, I started to read.
Whoever Tim Baggaley is, he thinks himself worthy of a biography. The journals are mostly his own writing and a mixture of articles on his life; of letters, musings, poetry and stories. Some of it is clearly fiction, some dull enough to be fact but equally, there’s a wealth of curious tales difficult to credit but with tantalising threads of honesty that cannot be dismissed.
Huntington Pier, Huntington Beach, California, 1998
Riding with the Islington Battalion of Mechanised Light Cavalry, aka The Meanfuckers MC
Working as a pit crewman for Nick Davies on his Pro Modified dragster
After dinner aboard the New Orleans Steamboat Company paddle boat with beautiful Brenny. New Orleans, 1998
Filming in the role of Kaa-Jinn for the TV show 'Strange' with Richard Coyle and Samantha Janus (now Samantha Womack), 2002
Dancing Argentine tango with Rosie at Negracha – photo by Andreea Vaidean
Working late in the office. Backstage at the Pigalle supper club (at Piccadilly Circus) as a floor-warmer and taxi dancer and sharing a changing room with the burlesque performer; Gwendoline Lamour, 2006
Between the 'Bees Knees' at the Savoy Ball, 2006
Costume still from production of the movie 'Holmes and Watson.' Did not make the final edit. The movie tanked
Pre-milonga Porn Star martinis with Rosie at Jamies Bar
Fencing is a long-established tradition in South London
A dancing gig with Kit Kat at the Soho Revue Bar (long gone), February 2008
Cruising on the River Nile, April 2010
Arriving in Venice at the Ponte di Rialto, with Marija. Italy, November 2017
At one of the dramatic overlooks of the Grand Canyon in Dead Horse Point State Park, while on a filming job for the Discovery Channel, April 2007
So I now find myself intrigued and set upon a course of cataloguing and publishing Baggaley’s journals. I’m verifying the facts where I can and welcome contact from anyone who knows him or knows of his activities and whereabouts.
For you, dear reader, here are the life and times of Tim Baggaley – writer, actor, dancer and bon vivant. A disorganised confabulation of his thoughts, dreams and daily machinations. Make of it what you will.
