This week 60 years ago: Aladdin actress Eve Eden helps raise £2 to fight cancer at the Britannia pub in Mare Street

The 50s pin-up model and actress Eve Eden helped raise £2 to fight cancer at a pub night in Mare Street.

The 18-year-old “redhead starlet” as the Gazette dubbed her, who went on to star in the 1960 film Aladdin, put down a penny to build a pile at the Britannia public house.

“And she had no sooner placed the first coin on the saloon bar counter, when scores of customers rushed to follow her example. Before the evening was out there was more than £2,” reported the Gazette.

Another money raiser was a special competition which added another £2 to the evening’s total.

Organisers of the successful evening were the Stoke Newington and Hackney Local Cancer Campaign Committee with the licensee and his wife Frank and Marie Woods.

In other news the north London branch of the National Hairdressers’ Federation decided to increase charges for a hair cut by six-pence.