LOOKING FOR LUCIFER #7 – The continuing search for Italian born author & artist Baron Avro Manhattan (1914-90).

June 17, 2025June 17, 2025 / Alikivi

Since 2012 I’ve been researching the life of this fascinating character who was originally named Theophile Lucifer Gardini. He spent his last years living in a terraced house round the corner from where I live in South Shields.

In 2018 I produced a short documentary ‘Secrets & Lies’ based on what I found about his life so far, a link is at the end of the post.

I often mention him to neighbours and hear the odd story about Avro and his wife Anne. Recently an old friend got in touch and remembers the couple who lived at 45 Henry Nelson Street.

‘We moved into 32 Henry Nelson first week of June 1990, I think Avro died in the November so it was only a short time. I remember his wife used to have a little furry dog. She used to walk it out all the time.’ Recalled 60 year old Jeff Anderson now living in Washington, County Durham.

‘I’d see them in the street. Always well dressed. Always smiling. I don’t think local people were aware of who he was to be honest.’

‘Actually, very first time I came across him and his wife was prior to moving into the same street. I saw them on the corner of King Street in the town centre. They really stood out, there was a real glow about them. They had a big smile on their faces. You couldn’t help but notice them’.

‘What they were wearing was very classy – not the type of clothes the everyday person of Shields would wear on a Saturday afternoon. They really stood out of the crowd just by their whole demeanour.’

‘But when Avro died I remember his wife was absolutely devastated. From the initial sighting in King Street and other times in Henry Nelson they had this glow about them but after Avro died that seemed to vanish from her. From what I can remember she was never quite the same’.

‘A strange thing happened to me on the night he died. I went to pick my wife up from work in the town centre but there was nowhere to park so I had to go back round the block. I went past St Hilda’s Church and as I went round the corner I had like a paranormal occurrence – the only way to describe it. I actually saw a vision of Avro on the ground reaching up to me. I was shocked, I thought what’s going on. This is a bit weird.’

‘I continued on and as I came back round the block again there was no sign of him. Gone. It really freaked me out as you can imagine. It wasn’t until a few days later that I learned he had died that night. So, you know what was going on there?’

‘I didn’t know anything about him having any health problems. He died at 76 you say? Doesn’t seem that old now does it?’

If you have any information about Italian born author & artist Baron Avro Manhattan (1914-90) please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Alikivi June 2025

SECRETS & LIES – script of the film based on the life of Baron Avro Manhattan | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

ON THE ROAD with author and former Iron Maiden roadie Steve Newhouse

May 8, 2019November 29, 2022 / Alikivi / 2 Comments

Romford in Essex is where Steve Newhouse call’s home. He’s lived around the East End of London all his life and after leaving school with no qualifications he picked up various job’s in supermarkets and warehouses, he’s also worked for the Royal Mail…

In 1995 I decided to have a change in career and joined Royal Mail. I worked for them for 21 years until retiring in 2016. I have since written four novels of which two have been released.

Steve has recently found time to write down memories about the part of his life that he worked in the music business…

I toured a lot with Iron Maiden, then with More, Di’anno, Wildfire and in later years with Michael Jackson, U2 and Spandau Ballet. I worked as a scaffolder, stage hand and crew supervisor.

First, I was asked to write a column for on-line magazine Metaltalk. The column became really popular so was asked if I wanted to write a book.

When did you start working for bands ?

About 1975. When I first started, I was just a dogsbody helping carry the gear in and out of rehearsals or gigs. Then as things progressed with Iron Maiden, I got on so well with Doug Sampson that looking after him became the obvious choice. I was mainly a drum tech/roadie after that.

Doug Sampson was Iron Maiden drummer from 1978-9 before Clive Burr was in place and then Nicko McBrain took over the stool.

Steve remembers growing up with his friends and what music they were listening to as teenagers…

First record I bought was probably the T. Rex single Ride a White Swan, and my first album was a cheap compilation of glam greatest hits.

About ’73 or ’74 I went to my first concert at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park to see Nazareth. T.Rex, Sweet, Bowie, Slade was my thing and later that turned to Purple, Sabbath, Zeppelin and Quo.

I grew up with a guy called Paul Andrews (Paul Di’Anno original vocalist with Iron Maiden) and whereas Paul’s tastes were a lot wider, Reggae, Swing, Blues etc. some of his influences rubbed off on me.

We always had friends that were either in a band or wanted to form one. Paul always had a decent voice, and we were asked to join various bands with me playing bass. I wasn’t very good, so when the opportunity came to roadie for Iron Maiden I gave up playing bass.

Iron Maiden were one of the pioneers of what became known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Along with Sheffield’s Def Leppard and the Tygers of Pan Tang from Tyneside, they were at the very start of a nationwide musical movement.

I don’t remember much about the Tygers but I got to know the Leps fairly well and did a UK tour with them while working for More and Lionheart.

Also, in ‘81 the Maiden UK tour was opened by French band Trust. I can remember a gig at Newcastle City Hall, the crowd were great, and people were jumping off the balcony onto the p.a stack!

I was at all the gigs pictured above. In the early days, Maiden were just another heavy rock band. I think it was Geoff Barton at Sounds who first used the term New Wave of British Heavy Metal and all of a sudden, we were part of it.

Things had been fairly quiet up until then, with punk rock all the rage. Suddenly rock band’s were springing up all over the country and got tagged with the NWOBHM label.

What are your thoughts when looking back on the time in the music business ?

I have no regrets about being in the business. It was a great chance to be involved in something I loved. I got to work for some great people and met a lot more. I still have a lot of connections with my past. And I still believe now that Maiden are the hardest working band of any genre.

Any funny moments working for the band ? Yeah plenty. They’re all in the book (laughs).

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‘Loopyworld – The Iron Maiden years’ out now and available at https://www.loopyworld.co.uk/

Interview by Gary Alikivi April 2019.

SECRETS & LIES – making a documentary based on the the life of Baron Avro Manhattan.

July 17, 2018January 5, 2024 / Alikivi

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I came across Avro Manhattan in Summer 2012 in the Local Studies Department of South Shields Library. At the time I was researching South Shields born Eileen O’Shaughnessy, wife of 1984 author George Orwell.

The library have a couple of large cabinets, inside are files with photographs and cuttings from local newspapers of notable people and events on Tyneside. All in alphabetical order. I flicked through to the O’s but landed in the letter M’s and came across a name which was unusual for Tyneside.

Sounding like a ’70s rock star, Baron Avro Manhattan was born in Italy in 1914, he was an author and artist. In the articles they reported he met Picasso, had homes in London and Spain, and a plot of land in the Bahamas. In his will he left over half a million pounds. Impressive story for someone who ended their days in a terraced house in South Shields.

A week later I was in a charity shop when I came across a small book ‘Poems by Manhatten’. At the entrance of South Shields library there was a small plinth about 5ft tall with a bust of Manhattan on top. I started to tap his head a couple of times for luck.

After completing the Wildflower film about Eileen O’Shaughnessy (available on the Alikivi you tube channel) I started research at the end of his life, records show he is buried in the Blackhill cemetery in Shotley Bridge. His wife’s parents lived in the town which is 30 miles from South Shields.

Article from The Shields Gazette, June 2015.

There was more information on various websites but a lot more digging was needed, I talked to his former neighbours and friends. Stories I heard about him were getting bizarre – who was he? I put a request in local newspaper The Shields Gazette and received a few calls in response.

The story was on their website and a woman from Germany called Gunda Kraepelin got in touch. She sent over photos of Avro when he was a young artist in Italy. She also told stories about him when he was young as her mother knew him well.

A visit to London was arranged as I got in touch with an art dealer from Sussex who has an extensive collection of his framed artwork. Then another response from somebody closer to home.

A woman had bought the South Shields house that he died in. Inside were carpets, curtains, old bits of furniture and in a spare room upstairs was a box of artwork, books, letters and photographs – full of personal stuff. Lucky she had kept hold of it and now handed it over to me – it was a goldmine of information about Avro’s life.

After months of research and writing the script, I was ready to record and make a documentary. North East actors Jonathan Cash with his wife Helen were going to be the voices of Avro and his wife Anne. We recorded the narration and musician’s John Clavering and Dom Santos added music and sound.

In The Customs Space studio in South Shields, I was sitting with the sound engineer Martin Trollope and Helen Cash in the control room. In the studio Jonathan was sitting next to a microphone with a copy of the script.

After reading all the material on Avro, writing the story and looking at his photo’s I imagined what he might sound like. I was looking down at the script when Martin said ok let’s go for it. Jonathan read the first sentence and immediately I turned to Helen and said, ‘Avro’s in the room’.

Leaving plenty of space and time when working on a project allows more information to be collected – a positive aspect of not having to work to a deadline. I did receive a couple more leads but nothing that would add to the film.

Then in 2018 I shared this intriguing story. The search isn’t over to find out all the secrets and lies surrounding Avro Manhattan.

Watch ‘Secrets & Lies’ here and check out some of my other films on You Tube and subscribe to the channel.

Gary Alikivi July 2018.