Posts Tagged :

1980s

Jimmy Cricket to appear in Blackpool charity gala 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket to appear in Blackpool charity gala

Jimmy Cricket is appearing in the charity gala, A Night to Remember, at the Viva venue in BlackpoolEntertainer Jimmy Cricket will be appearing in a huge charity gala at the Viva cabaret venue in Blackpool on May 15.

The line-up for A Night to Remember is a stunning collection of high-quality performers, who have been assembled by the organisers of this fundraising event, Jean Parkes and Sue Coolie.

Jean is a former manager of the Bradford Theatres organisation and now runs an agency in Blackpool called  Personality Artistes.

The proceeds from the event will go towards charities, which are associated with two worthy causes – Parkinson’s disease and leukaemia.

Book your tickets now with the Viva box office on 01253 297297.

Jimmy joins co-stars at showbiz event (slideshow) 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy joins co-stars at showbiz event (slideshow)

Jimmy Cricket joined a host of fellow top entertainers at a showbusiness event in Blackpool.

Encore Reunion was organised by performer Hilary O’Neil, who was one of the stars of the 80s TV show Copy Cats, and was hosted at the Viva cabaret venue in Blackpool.

Jimmy, who attended with his wife, May and son, Fr Frankie, was invited to attend by the event sponsor, Nick Thomas from the Qdos Entertainment Company.

It was a who’s who from the world of entertainment as also there were: Bobby Davro, Paul Chuckle (from the Chuckle Brothers), Ken Dodd, Billy Pearce, Krankies, Christopher Biggins, Russ Abbot, Robin Grumbleweed and Little and Large.

“I was thrilled to have been at this unique event and thought it was a sensational night,” said Jimmy.

“I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with my fellow entertainers, some of whom I had not seen in quite some time.

“It was also superb the event was held in Blackpool – the resort famed for its entertainment offer – as all those who went to the Encore Reunion had at one time or another graced the venues of the town.”

The sponsors produced an event brochure, which highlighted the many shows the performers had produced over the years in the resort.

Jimmy featured in a few of these shows at venues such as the South Pier Theatre (no longer standing as it was demolished at the end of the 90s) and the Grand Theatre (located within the town centre).

Click on either of the arrow buttons above to watch a photo slideshow of the event.

And there’s more… 150 150 mhamer

And there’s more…

Jimmy Cricket with William McLean Kerr, who was the designer of the title sequence for the first series of And There's More

Jimmy Cricket was reminded of an old television colleague via this photograph posted on Facebook, the social media website.

It was taken during filming for comedian Jimmy’s TV series called And There’s More that was broadcast on ITV during the mid-1980s.

In the photo with the famous entertainer is William McLean Kerr, who was the designer of the title sequence for the first series. It was he who sent Jimmy this photo through Facebook.

William stopped working in television not long after the picture was taken. He decided to go and paint for a living, and now has a studio in Troon, Scotland. William paints oil paintings, landscapes, seascapes, fine art prints and drawings.

Jimmy said: “I was thrilled William got in contact after all these years and the photo was certainly a nice piece of nostalgia for me.”

Events that helped make Jimmy famous 150 150 mhamer

Events that helped make Jimmy famous

jimmy_cricket_lookinPhotos and postings published on social media websites have revealed some of the events that made Jimmy Cricket a household name.

The Northern Irish entertainer’s supporters and friends have created a kind of nostalgia corner with their entries on Facebook and Twitter.

Right is a picture of the front cover of the Look in annual dating back to 1988. Look in was a popular weekly magazine aimed at the teenage markets during the 1980s.

Jimmy features primarily because he had a popular television series on ITV at the time and the magazine decided to run a comic strip which featured Jimmy’s character getting into different scrapes!jimmy_cricket_nostalgia

A big thanks to Amy Elizabeth Phillips for posting this on her website at www.varietyemporium.co.uk where it features on its dedicated Facebook page.

Back in 1987, Jimmy headlined a show at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool which was a trailblazer at the time as it started a trend of extending theatre-based entertainment attractions into the autumnal illuminations season (poster left, is also from the Variety Emporium website).

Supporting Jimmy on the show was none other than Brian Conley,  the English comedian, television presenter, singer and actor who at the peak of his television career was believed to be the highest-paid male television personality in the UK.

Alongside both Jimmy and Brian was a double act called Trevillion & Nine – the female half of which was Sadie Nice who is now a successful broadcaster on BBC Essex.

The other member of the double act, Paul Trevillion, went on to use his artistic talents to the full, producing cartoons for a range of sporting occasions and sporting publications.

Back to the 80s in aid of charity 150 150 mhamer

Back to the 80s in aid of charity

The Rochdale Observer's coverage of Red Nose DayIrish entertainer Jimmy Cricket went back to the 1980s as he joined in with a rendition of A-ha’s Take on Me – all in aid of Comic Relief.

The Rochdale-based comedian teamed up with the Littleborough Rock Choir on Red Nose Day (15 March) for their special fancy dress rehearsal.

He also sang John Farnham’s You’re the Voice – another 80s hit – with the choir.

The evening raised around £70 and choir master Phil Reynolds was thrilled that as well as joining in with rehearsals, Jimmy also performed one of his own songs called The lady From My Sat Nav.

His local newspaper, the Rochdale Observer, ran an account of local Red Nose Day activities, with Jimmy featuring in two out of the four photos (above and below)!

* Comic Relief is a major UK charity set up in 1985 which strives to create a just world free from poverty, raising awareness and money through activities based around entertainment. its two big fundraising campaigns being Red Nose Day and Sport Relief.

The Rochdale Observer's coverage of Red Nose Day

Radio DJ’s photo from the past 150 150 mhamer

Radio DJ’s photo from the past
Jimmy with 10-year-old David at the Lord's Taverners cricket match in the 80s

Jimmy with 10-year-old David at the Lord's Taverners cricket match in the 80s

Jimmy was taken on another nostalgic journey following a radio interview this week.

The Irish funnyman had been speaking to radio presenter David Gordon on the Belfast-based Citybeat about Saturday’s (3 March) funeral of Frank Carson.

After the interview David said that when he was 10 years old he had seen Jimmy in Torquay and had photographic evidence – see above.

David said he went to see Jimmy in a show at the Princess Theatre in Torquay where he was performing along with the late singer Lena Zavaroni.

In an email David said of the photograph: “I think the event was a Lord’s Taverners cricket match in Torquay in summer 1986.”