Norah, Lady Docker
Encyclopedia
Norah Docker, Lady Docker (born Norah Royce Turner, 1906–1983) was an English
socialite
.
Daughter of Amy and Sydney Turner, she was originally a successful dance hall
hostess and was noted for her colourful lifestyle.
and he died in 1948. The third in 1949 was to Sir Bernard Docker
, chairman of Birmingham Small Arms, Daimler
and a director of the Midland Bank
, Anglo-Argentine Tramways and Thomas Cook and Son
Sir Bernard and Lady Norah Docker were in their time, the 1940s and 50s, beloved by the press and the paparazzi. Sir Bernard and his wife Norah were, however, neither restrained nor well-behaved.
Lady Docker famously played marbles with factory workers, attended a party given by a notorious criminal, even danced the hornpipe for bemused miners on board their huge yacht.
She was ostracised after dancing on the national flag in Monaco
during an evening of excess.
The couple have been described as "gracelessly gaudy", known for indulgence in all forms, from mink coats and champagne receptions to specially-customised Daimlers, fitted successively with gold plate, lizard skin, even crocodile leather and zebra – more comfortable to sit on than mink, apparently.
"We bring glamour and happiness into drab lives," said Lady Docker. "The working class loves everything I do."
There are shades of currently-running company scandals in Sir Bernard’s historic freedom with company cash.
Though the Birmingham Small Arms profits were falling off, they were still spending, and dipping into expense accounts, resulting finally in the sacking from the board. It was a severe blow for Bernard, whose father Dudley had helped found the Midlands-based empire. The straw that broke the shareholder’s patience was the golden dress ordered by Lady Docker to match the gold showroom and the gold-plated Daimler being featured in Paris. The 20,000-dollar outfit was charged against tax as "I was doing nothing more than acting as a model". When the tax man objected, they tried to bill the company.
In eventual tax exile in a small bungalow in Jersey, Lady Docker was quoted on the subject of her island neighbours: "They’re the most frightfully boring, dreadful people that have ever been born."
After her husband’s business downfall, Lady Docker went off to shop for a Bentley, made by Daimler’s arch rivals Rolls-Royce. "Actually, I’ve always loved Bentleys," she said.
Lady Docker is buried in the churchyard of St. James-the-Less in Stubbings, near Maidenhead.
), to describe a woman who has pretensions to be of high station but who in reality is anything but.
For example, 'Who does she think she is - Lady Docker?' or 'Here comes Lady Docker'
It is interchangeable with 'Lady Muck' or the male equivalent 'Lord Muck'.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
.
Daughter of Amy and Sydney Turner, she was originally a successful dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
hostess and was noted for her colourful lifestyle.
Marriages
Norah Royce Turner was married three times the first to Clement Callingham, head of Henekeys wine and spirit merchants. They married in 1938 and he died in 1945. They had one son, Lance. The second in 1946 was to Sir William Collins, the president of Fortnum & MasonFortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason, often shortened to just "Fortnum's" is a department store, situated in central London, with two other branches in Japan. Its headquarters is located at 181 Piccadilly, where it was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason...
and he died in 1948. The third in 1949 was to Sir Bernard Docker
Bernard Docker
Sir Bernard Dudley Frank Docker was an English industrialist.Bernard Docker was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the only child of Frank Dudley Docker an industrialist....
, chairman of Birmingham Small Arms, Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
and a director of the Midland Bank
Midland Bank
Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836...
, Anglo-Argentine Tramways and Thomas Cook and Son
Sir Bernard and Lady Norah Docker were in their time, the 1940s and 50s, beloved by the press and the paparazzi. Sir Bernard and his wife Norah were, however, neither restrained nor well-behaved.
Lady Docker famously played marbles with factory workers, attended a party given by a notorious criminal, even danced the hornpipe for bemused miners on board their huge yacht.
She was ostracised after dancing on the national flag in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
during an evening of excess.
The couple have been described as "gracelessly gaudy", known for indulgence in all forms, from mink coats and champagne receptions to specially-customised Daimlers, fitted successively with gold plate, lizard skin, even crocodile leather and zebra – more comfortable to sit on than mink, apparently.
"We bring glamour and happiness into drab lives," said Lady Docker. "The working class loves everything I do."
There are shades of currently-running company scandals in Sir Bernard’s historic freedom with company cash.
Though the Birmingham Small Arms profits were falling off, they were still spending, and dipping into expense accounts, resulting finally in the sacking from the board. It was a severe blow for Bernard, whose father Dudley had helped found the Midlands-based empire. The straw that broke the shareholder’s patience was the golden dress ordered by Lady Docker to match the gold showroom and the gold-plated Daimler being featured in Paris. The 20,000-dollar outfit was charged against tax as "I was doing nothing more than acting as a model". When the tax man objected, they tried to bill the company.
In eventual tax exile in a small bungalow in Jersey, Lady Docker was quoted on the subject of her island neighbours: "They’re the most frightfully boring, dreadful people that have ever been born."
After her husband’s business downfall, Lady Docker went off to shop for a Bentley, made by Daimler’s arch rivals Rolls-Royce. "Actually, I’ve always loved Bentleys," she said.
Lady Docker is buried in the churchyard of St. James-the-Less in Stubbings, near Maidenhead.
Common Usage
The term 'Lady Docker' is also used in a derogatory way in the north of England (specifically LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
), to describe a woman who has pretensions to be of high station but who in reality is anything but.
For example, 'Who does she think she is - Lady Docker?' or 'Here comes Lady Docker'
It is interchangeable with 'Lady Muck' or the male equivalent 'Lord Muck'.