Talk:Syd Dernley

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Although Dernley mentions the fact that he had a collection of "rude material" he doesn't say that he got sent to prison for it in his book or that this was obviously the most likely cause of his sacking. What a cop out! It would have made an interesting conclusion to the work if he'd bothered to tell the truth. I must say that having watched interviews with him he does come across as a rather weird guy.

Albert Pierrepoint mentions in his autobiography that one time, when taking down a dead person from the rope, his (unnamed) assistant made rude remarks on the genitalia of the deceased, and that he (Pierrepoint) saw to it that the assistant never again got a job.

Some researchers speculate that this might refer to Dernley. However, assistants were hired by a different authority than the executioner, so Pierrepoint's ways to ensure anything of the kind are doubtful.

Dernley himself, in his autobiography (published AFTER Pierrepoint's), relates a similar incident but attributes the denunciation, if any, not to Pierrepoint but to an unnamed witness.

Dernley writes that he had a collection of rather spicy poems, and relates one incident when he entertained his mates in the hangman's room with one of these, sending them into so loud a laughter that the man awaiting execution could not but hear them.

The interview with Dernley (see references) contains the impression of the journalist that Dernley's "gallows humour" was strongly in evidence.

All in all, the expression "rather weird guy" does not seem to do him injustice. --Kauko56 08:14, 8 January 2007 (UTC)