June 22nd

Details of a debt owed by Errol Flynn to a Northampton menswear shop have emerged, 53 years after his death. He wrote to ask for more time in which to pay his debt.

After recently discovering Shakespeare owed taxes, this doesn't come as a surprise. People back then led similar lives to ours. Scrimp and save, try to balance paying the bills with enjoying life. Rich or poor, we all play the game of life.

When I lived in Australia, I knew a former equerry to Prince Philip in England. I won't name him. In his youth, he socialized with many stars, Errol Flynn and David Niven among them. He told stories of wild drinking parties. I don't think he liked Errol much. After reading about Flynn's penchant for underage girls, I can see why.

    Flynn was born on 20 June, 1909 in Hobart, Australia.

He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films and his playboy lifestyle.

    His films include Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, The Dawn Patrol, and The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Said to be too handsome for his own good, he became a naturalized American citizen in 1942.

    In the late 1950s he moonlighted as a newspaper columnist, documenting the Cuban revolution.

He died in Vancouver, aged 50, on 14 October, 1959 of a heart attack.

    A new biopic will be made of his notorious Hollywood sex scandal with Kevin Kline acting his role.

Flynn started his acting career in Northampton, UK after leaving his native Australia, before shooting to stardom in Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s.

However, while back in England in the 1950s he worked in the theatre there, and became a regular at the Montague Jeffrey shop. He used to drink at the pub opposite the shop, which was next to the theatre. The letters, showing Flynn was not the ideal customer, were found during a search through the shop's archives.

One letter shows the owner hired a firm of detectives to track down Flynn and issue a summons for the debt. However, the agency was unsuccessful and wrote to the shop saying they couldn't gain access to the studio where he was working. The grandson of the then owner is keeping the quirky piece of history. He has no idea what Flynn bought or whether he ever paid the debt.