This delicate belt made from 25 suede ‘leaves’ was worn by Jean Forbes-Robertson (1905-1962) who played Peter Pan in London annually from the 1927/28 season until the 1934/35 season, vying with Pauline Chase for longevity in the role. Not long before her death, Jean Forbes-Robertson gave the belt to Julia Lockwood (b.1941) during Lockwood’s first season as Peter, 1960/61.

When Jean Forbes Robertson first played Peter The Era critic considered her the best ever:
‘She is a boy with youth and vigour and fun, and yet she is fey. Her wings are those of the imagination, and she is at home in Never-Never Land.’

The Times critic said her Peter was full of fiery beauty:
‘.. he sparkles with vitality; he gives a magic to Wendy’s house that we have not known it to possess. Here is a Peter who is at the farthest possible remove from a principal boy in a pantomime, whose vitality is something altogether different from rollicking high spirits, who hovers most brilliantly between the joy and melancholy of boyhood, and the different joy and melancholy of the immortals.’

In Bruce Hanson’s book Peter Pan on Stage and Screen 2004-2010 (2nd edition), Julia Lockwood recalled how she was given the belt:

‘My most treasured memory of playing Peter came during my first production. One day after the matinee dear old ‘Gaddie’ (Lionel Gadsden) poked his nose round my door and said could he bring someone in to meet me. I was still in my costume and said ‘Yes of course’. In walked Jean Forbes-Robertson! I nearly fainted! My jaw dropped and I tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. I think I even dropped a curtsey, for this was royalty to me. She was quite an old lady by now [actually only fifty-four years old but poor health aged her beyond her years] and as Gaddie had told me she hardly ever came to see the play and if she did, it was always when the lights went down so she could sneak in and out without being seen. She had never asked to meet anyone and never went backstage. Although I had never seen her, Jean Forbes-Robertson was my heroine and I had photos of her all round my dressing room. Lionel Gadsden, who had played the pirate Cecco in one of my productions, had been Jean’s Captain Hook in a touring production of the play in 1935. He told me she was the epitome of Peter Pan. He told me she had played the part nine times [years] and rumour had it she wore the costume at home. I found that completely understandable. I felt the same way about Peter. He really got under my skin. So you can imagine how thunderstruck I was.

She had a small brown paper parcel in her hand, which she pushed towards me. She said ‘You were very good and I would like you to wear this.’ She muttered a shy goodbye and was gone. I opened the parcel and inside was a thin belt made of suede in the design of autumn leaves. I recognised it immediately as the belt she had worn over her tunic as Peter. I was amazed, delighted and honoured. I kept it until a few years ago when I attended a Peter Pan celebration at the Duke of York’s Theatre (December 2004). Then I handed it over, along with my leafy leather jerkin to the Theatre Museum.’