PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release
Finally, former Fleet Street journalist reveals her untold story
Sylvia Disley reveals her untold story of the woman behind the Bluebell Girls
[United Kingdom, 8thApril 2025] Sixty-five years after the seed was originally planted during a skiing trip in the Alps, Sylvia Disley finally shares The Bluebell Story with the world.
It was in 1960 that Sylvia Disley [pictured] gave up her successful journalism career in London's Fleet Street to write the incredible story of Margaret ‘Bluebell' Kelly, founder of the famous Bluebell Girls.
It took the English writer two years and six separate trips to Paris, staying six weeks at a time, to piece together Bluebell's remarkable story through countless interviews recorded faithfully onto her 21lb German Telefunken tape recorder. But controversy arose after the manuscript had been completed, when Miss Bluebell refused to authorise the manuscript for unknown reasons, leaving Sylvia disappointed and frustrated when several London publishers refused to publish the book without authorisation.
The storm grew when another author approached Miss Bluebell and asked to write her story. Not only did Miss Bluebell agree, but she handed over Sylvia's manuscript, causing further upset and confusion. After much toing and froing with London's leading literary lawyer and Miss Bluebell's agent, the manuscript was finally returned.
Today at her home in Warwickshire, 95-year-old Sylvia Disley questions, "Had the agent managed to copy any of her manuscript? I will never know."
In a career spanning over six decades, more than 14,000 Bluebell Girls were to pass through Miss Bluebell's hands with many more continuing to join her famous troupes across the world long after her death in 2004.
The Bluebell Story: A Tale of Grit and Glamour, published on 25th April 2025, illustrates the courage and bravery Miss Bluebell displayed throughout her life from overcoming invalidism and poverty as a young child to incarceration in a prison camp while five months pregnant and later risking her life to save that of her husband in World War Two.
From the glittering stages of Paris to the hearts of audiences worldwide, Margaret Kelly's journey is a captivating blend of ambition, artistry, and resilience. Discover how she overcame adversity, broke barriers, and created a legacy that continues to inspire generationstoday.
With rich anecdotes and vivid storytelling,The Bluebell Storynot only chronicles the rise of the Bluebell Girls but offers a poignant reflection on the power of dreams and the glamour of show business.
Choreographer, dance educator and performer, Eddie Slattery, writer of the book's foreword, reveals his thoughts on the lasting legacy of this story by Sylvia Disley. "Bluebell's life and legacy are a reminder that with passion, dedication and vision, one person can truly change the face of an entire industry."
About the Author
Sylvia Disley became an international athlete, aged 17, and competed in two Olympic Games in London in 1948 and in Helsinki in 1952. In 1950, she became a Fleet Street journalist and had the opportunity to interview Margaret ‘Bluebell' Kelly in 1960.
Sylvia is 95 years old, and this is her first book. She lives in Warwickshire.
Notes
• The Bluebell Story: A Tale of Grit and Glamour by Sylvia Disley, published by Book Brilliance Publishing, 25th April 2025, RRP £22.99, hardback, ISBN 978-1-913770-95-2.
• Pre-order on Amazon or all good bookshops.
• For media inquiries and interviews, please contactadmin@bookbrilliancepublishing.com
"... a story that deserves to be known, shared and celebrated by everyone in the entertainment industry."
Eddie Slattery
Choreographer, Dance Educator, and Performer
