Silken Wings

On her first parachute jump in 1901, Elsa Spencer (her stage name) was knocked out by a collision with a pub wall. But she was so little put off that she jumped again the following day. She went on to become a star of her profession, drawing huge audiences to watch her float down under a silken canopy at county shows, galas and fetes until 1927.

Though recently Elsa has been forgotten, brushed aside by time and the exploits and promotions of louder voices in her profession, she now has David Dell, the perfect biographer for the task, to tell her extraordinary story. As a child in Cardiff, David knew Elsa well and became such a fan that he eventually joined the Parachute Brigade to share her experiences.

David's parachutist insights into the conditions under which so many young women and men risked their lives, his inheritance of Elsa' s memorabilia and records and his careful research give us close-up and background of an amazing life, while his lively storytelling introduces us to a quiet, likeable woman who achieved fame when it was hard for a woman to be recognised for her achievements.

Elsa was special. As you read the book you will find yourself echoing David Dell's call for Cardiff City, her football club, to commemorate one of their most faithful supporters in the most appropriate way possible by opening The Elsa Spencer pub /bar on their ground!

Nick Peacey, MBE