GODDESS OF THE GRAVEL PITS THERE WAS ANOTHER SWIMMING POOL IN CHRISTINE 
KEELER'S LIFE BEFORE THE ONE AT CLIVEDEN . AS A YOUNG 
GIRL, SHE WOULD OFTEN SWIM IN THE MUDDY GRAVEL PITS NEAR 
THE DINGY, THAMES-SIDE TOWN OF WRAYSBURY . ENVIOUS OF HER LOOKS, 
HER GIRL FRIENDS CALLED HER THE " GODDESS OF THE GRAVEL 
PITS . " / I REMEMBER CHRISTINE STEPPING FROM THE WATER, 
" SAYS ONE CHILDHOOD CHUM . " HER HOMEMADE BIKINI OF 
YELLOW JERSEY WOOL CLUNG TO HER . " FROM MAKESHIFT BIKINIS 
TO PARIS ORIGINALS, THE LIFE OF CHRISTINE KEELER WAS DISCUSSED IN 
INTIMATE DETAIL LAST WEEK, NOT ONLY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 
BUT ALSO IN EVERY BRITISH NEWSPAPER . FOR ALL THE SENTIMENTAL 
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CLICHES ABOUT A PRETTY CHILD FROM A BROKEN HOME, 
WHAT EMERGED WAS A CIRCEAN ODYSSEY OF A GIRL WHO ALWAYS 
KNEW WHAT SHE AND WHAT MEN WANTED . BRIGHT LIGHTS . 
HER PARENTS SPLIT UP WHEN SHE WAS A CHILD . WITH 
HER MOTHER, CHRISTINE MOVED INTO A CONVERTED BUS COACH NEAR THE 
THAMES THAT WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A SHANTY ON WHEELS . 
EVEN THEN, CHRISTINE'S EYE WAS ON THE MAIN CHANCE . OFTEN 
SHE WOULD CLIMB UP ON THE KNEE OF A NEIGHBOR AND 
BEG TO BE TOLD ABOUT THE BRIGHT LIGHTS IN THE BIG 
CITIES . " SHE WAS FOREVER ASKING ME TO TELL HER 
STORIES ABOUT LIFE IN LONDON, " RECALLS THE NEIGHBOR . / 
I SPENT HOURS TELLING HER ABOUT HER DREAMLAND . " CHRISTINE 
EVENTUALLY TOOK A JOB IN A LONDON DRESS HOUSE . AT 
A SMALL SOHO CAFE CALLED THE ZODIAC, SHE MET A SPANISH 
WAITER NAMED CARLO, BEGAN SPENDING WEEKENDS WITH HIM AT HIS SEEDY 
SOHO BOARDINGHOUSE . THEN A GIRL FRIEND INTRODUCED HER TO A 
U.S . AIR FORCE SERGEANT . " NIGHT AFTER NIGHT WE 
WHOOPED IT UP WITH THE YANKS, " RECALLS THE FRIEND . 
" THEY WERE TWELVE VERY GAY MONTHS . " BUT CHRISTINE 
GOT PREGNANT, GAVE BIRTH PREMATURELY TO A SON SHE CALLED PETER 
. THE INFANT DIED SIX DAYS LATER . CHRISTINE WAS JUST 
17 . OUT OF WORK AND SHORT OF CASH, CHRISTINE BECAME 
THE MISTRESS OF A RICH ROLLSROYCE-DRIVING REAL ESTATE MAN, WHO SET 
HER UP IN A LUXURIOUS FLAT OFF BAKER STREET . BUT 
THE AFFAIR PROVED UNSATISFACTORY, AND SHE WENT TO WORK AS A 
WAITRESS, THEN AS A SHOWGIRL IN MURRAY'S CABARET CLUB . " 
AND THEN, " CHRISTINE SAID, / I BEGAN MEETING MY FIRST 
INTERESTING MALE COMPANIONS . / NO MAN'S COLLAR . ONE WAS 
STEPHEN WARD, AND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THEY MET IN 1959, 
CHRISTINE MOVED INTO HIS FLAT IN WIMPOLE MEWS . " IT 
WAS A SORT OF BROTHER-AND-SISTER RELATIONSHIP, " SAID CHRISTINE, " NOTHING 
ELSE . " A FEATURE OF WARD'S APARTMENT WAS A ONE-WAY 
MIRROR PERMITTING OBSERVATION OF THE BEDROOM FROM THE LIVING ROOM ; 
THIS ELABORATE PEEPHOLE WAS COVERED BY A PICTURE OF BUDDHA WHEN 
NOT IN USE . " THAT WAS INSTALLED BY AN OLD 
ECCENTRIC WHO USED TO OWN THIS PLACE, " WARD SAID . 
" I'M GOING TO HAVE IT FILLED IN . " AN 
ELABORATE PRACTICAL JOKER, WARD OFTEN PUT A DOG COLLAR AROUND CHRISTINE'S 
NECK AND LED HER AROUND LONDON ON A LEASH . SOMETIMES 
CHRISTINE RECEIVED GUESTS WEARING NOTHING BUT SKINTIGHT BLUE JEANS, ONCE GAVE 
A PARTY AT WHICH ALL THE GUESTS SAT DRINKING CHAMPAGNE IN 
HER BATHROOM . ONE OF HER THIRSTIEST FRIENDS WAS EVGENY IVANOV 
. THOUGH HE WAS A BIT OF A PRIG, IVANOV WAS 
A DEVOTED READER OF THE STEAMY JAMES BOND NOVELS, FOUND THEM 
AMUSING BUT RIDICULOUS . " HE PROFESSED TO DISLIKE LOOSE WOMEN, 
DID NOT LIKE CHRISTINE EVEN TO USE COSMETICS . BUT ONE 
HOT JULY NIGHT, RECALLS CHRISTINE, IVANOV FINALLY " CAME TO FORSAKE 
ALL HIS PRINCIPLES AND HIS PRIDE . SUDDENLY HE WAS KISSING 
ME, ROLLING HIS DARK CURLS INTO MY NECK . . . 
" AFTERWARD, IVANOV WAS " SAD, VERY SAD . " CHARMING 
BUT WARY . THAT VERY SAME WEEKEND CHRISTINE HAD MET JACK 
PROFUMO FOR THE FIRST TIMES AT CLIVEDEN, AND CHRISTINE, WHO WAS 
VISITING WARD AT HIS COTTAGE ON THE GROUNDS, WAS STEALING A 
NUDE MOONLIGHT SWIM IN ASTOR'S POOL . SUDDENY BILL ASTOR APPEARED 
WITH SOME GUESTS, INCLUDING PROFUMO . FRANTICALLY CLUTCHING A TOWEL AROUND 
HER DRIPPING SELF, CHRISTINE WAS INTRODUCED TO BOTH JACK AND HIS 
WIFE, VALERIE HOBSON . " SHE WAS VERY CHARMING, " SAID 
CHRISTINE, " BUT SEEMED WARY OF ME . " NEXT DAY, 
CHRISTINE BROUGHT IVANOV OUT TO CLIVEDEN, AND THE RUSSIAN AND PROFUMO 
HELD A SWIMMING RACE, WHICH JACK ONLY WON BY CHEATING . 
" THAT WILL TEACH YOU TO TRUST THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, " 
PROFUMO TOLD IVANOV . LATER THAT SAME DAY, HE ASKED CHRISTINE 
FOR HER TELEPHONE NUMBER ; SHE TOLD HIM TO GET IT 
FROM WARD . JACK AND CHRISTINE MET SEVERAL TIMES IN WARD'S 
FLAT . " MENTALLY, WE BECAME VERY CLOSE, " SAID CHRISTINE 
. IT HAPPENED, JUST LIKE IT HAPPENED WITH IVANOV . AT 
LEAST THAT IS HOW CHRISTINE TOLD IT IN THE NEWS OF 
THE WORLD : " THERE WAS ONE OF THOSE ELECTRIC, POTENT 
SILENCES, AND HE WAS KISSING ME AND I WAS RETURNING HIS 
KISSES WITH EVERYTHING I SUDDENLY FELT FOR HIM . " ONCE, 
WHEN VALERIE WAS IN IRELAND ON HOLIDAY, PROFUMO TOOK CHRISTINE TO 
HIS HOUSE IN REGENT'S PARK . " WE CREPT AROUND THE 
LOVELY ROOMS AND THEN WE GOT TO THEIR BEDROOM . " 
MARVELLOUS PLACE . CHRISTINE ALSO CAVORTED WITH MEMBERS OF LONDON'S VAST 
WEST INDIAN CONTINGENT, HAD AFFAIRS WITH JAMAICAN JOHNNIE EDGECOMBE AND SINGER 
LUCKY GORDON . " WHEN I FIRST MET HER, " SAID 
GORDON, " SHE WAS ASKING THE WAITRESS IN A CAFE WHERE 
SHE COULD GET SOME INDIAN HEMP (MARIJUANA) . KNOWING THIS, I 
WANTED TO KNOW HER . " THERE WERE A NUMBER OF 
OTHERS . SCOTLAND YARD IS SAID TO HAVE CHRISTINE'S NOTEBOOK, AND 
THE NOTEBOOK IS SAID TO BE FULL OF NAMES . THROUGHOUT, 
CHRISTINE NEVER FORGOT THE GRAVEL PITS OR MUM . WHEN SHE 
TOOK TEMPORARY REFUGE IN SPAIN LAST MARCH, CHRISTINE SENT A POSTCARD 
HOME . / MARVELLOUS PLACE, / SHE WROTE . " LOTS 
OF NICELOOKING MEN . DON'T WORRY, HAVING A BALL SINCE THEN, 
THE BALL HAS CONTINUED, MORE OR LESS, AND SO HAS FAME 
. AT THE CASSIUS CLAY FIGHT AT WEMBLEY STADIUM LAST WEEK, 
THERE WAS A SUDDEN FLURRY AS A GLAMOROUS WOMAN SWEPT TO 
HER RINGSIDE SEAT . " IS THAT CHRISTINE KEELER ? " 
ASKED A SPECTATOR . " NO, " SAID HIS NEIGHBOR, " 
ONLY ELIZABETH TAYLOR . / 