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Charity Christmas CD and Snow White panto treat 150 150 mhamer

Charity Christmas CD and Snow White panto treat

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Lancashire Evening PostJimmy Cricket has been looking back in his latest newspaper column on his recent visit to a top shopping centre – and looking ahead to the pantomime he is starring in, which starts tonight (8 December).

Jimmy’s promotion of his new charity Christmas CD continued at the Intu Trafford Centre on the outskirts of Manchester.

Jimmy Cricket’s new Christmas CD is in aid of the Francis House Children’s Hospice

The popular 71-year-old comedian was invited to perform some tracks from the CD, entitled Santa bring my wellies back to me,  on the stage area of the Orient section of the mall.

Volunteers and staff from the Francis House Children’s Hospice – the very worthy cause Jimmy’s CD is in aid of – were also present.

In his December column for the Lancashire Evening Post, Jimmy says: “I had a very enjoyable time doing my couple of numbers up on the stage and then rushing down to the stall to help our wonderful volunteers sell CDs for those who wanted to take home the experience.”

* The new charity Christmas CD is available to buy from this website through a PayPal facility or in person directly from the hospice.

‘Mouth-watering treat for all ages’

Jimmy will play the Court Jester in the classic fairytale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the White Rose Theatre in Leeds City centre from 8 December to 1 January.

The White Rose Theatre is a new 1,400-seater arena, erected in a large marquee complex located within the premises of the Tetley contemporary arts gallery and near the city’s main train station.

This first evening performance on Friday 9 December will be a special charity preview of the show, where three local charities will stand to benefit greatly as all ticket sales will be shared out between them.

The panto also features reality TV celebrity Scotty T, who won this year’s Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5 and will play the role of Prince Charming.

Actors Louis Emerick (from Last of the Summer Wine and Brookside fame) and Tupele Dorgu (who has featured in Coronation Street and Hollyoaks) will play the roles of the Royal Tax Collector and the Wicked Queen respectively.

And there will be cameo performances from children’s TV programme Rainbow’s George and Zippy, plus a recorded sequence starring Jimmy’s very good friend and fellow comedian Ken Dodd.

In his Lancashire Evening Post column , Jimmy says:  “This year we’ll have the new heartthrob from television Scotty T as the Prince.

“Also Geoffrey and Zippy from Rainbow will be helping me to give the wicked queen her comeuppance and we’ll even have the great Ken Dodd appear on video within the magic mirror.

“Yes, a mouth-watering treat for all ages.”

* The show will run from 8 December 2016 to 1 January 2017 and tickets are now on sale –  visit www.whiterosetheatre.com or ring 0113 870 7769.

Jimmy Cricket will star in a pantomime production of the classic fairytale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Leeds over Christmas and New Year

Ken Dodd, Christmas CD and those stolen wellies 150 150 mhamer

Ken Dodd, Christmas CD and those stolen wellies

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket has been talking about his long-time friend and comedy legend Ken Dodd – and the concrete wellington boots stolen from his back garden four years ago.

Ken had given the wellies to Rochdale-based entertainer Jimmy as a 50th birthday present, but they vanished overnight and have not been seen since.

As well as featuring catchphrases like “come closer!” and “…and there’s more!” in his act, Northern Irishman Jimmy is also famous for wearing wellingtons marked with the letters R and L, but on the wrong feet, on stage.

In his latest column for the Lancashire Evening Post, Jimmy recalls the moment he reported the theft.

“The lady at the police station desk could hardly keep a straight face as she wrote down my description of the stolen items – a pair of grey concrete wellington boots with the inscription: ‘To Jimmy from Ken, lots of happiness.'”

Jimmy, 71, says that even though he got a replacement pair of wellies off eBay – again signed by Ken – he would still like the originals back – as illustrated in the title of his new new charity Christmas CD, Santa bring my wellies back to me.

Of his friendship with Ken, Jimmy says: “Even today Ken is enthralling audiences with his five and six-hour marathon shows.

“There’ll never be another and I’m proud to call him my friend.”

* Jimmy’s charity Christmas CD  is available to buy from this website through a PayPal facility or in person directly from the Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Mammy’s Letters saved the day at two big shows 150 150 mhamer

Mammy’s Letters saved the day at two big shows

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Lancashire Evening Post in October 2016

Jimmy Cricket’s much-loved Mammy’s Letters haven’t just been entertaining for audiences – they have also come to the rescue on more than one occasion.

The famous comedian, 70, recalls two of those times in his Lancashire Evening Post column for October.

He says the first was when he was appearing in the Royal Children’s Variety Show in London, which was being recorded to be televised on Christmas Day in 1986 and included Princess Margaret in the audience.

Jimmy had just finished his three-minute act and was heading for the wings when a “very distraught” stage manager indicated to him that the set behind the curtain wasn’t ready for the next performance, which was to star well-known actors Jan Francis and Paul Nicholas.

So he did one of his ever-popular Mammy’s Letters and timed it to perfection; just as he finished, the curtain started opening behind him.

And he also told of the time he was playing panto at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham when there was a power cut, which plunged the theatre and half the city into darkness.

“As the torch-wielding usherettes led the audience quietly down the aisles and out the exit doors, I reached for my pocket. This time in a loud voice – as all the mikes were off, of course – I said: ‘Dear son, I’m cutting down on electricity. I’m only going to plug the electric clock in when I want to know the time!’ said Jimmy.

“As I could hear little pockets of laughter emanating from the stalls, it gave me a warm glow to know I was helping to keep things calm in what can be a scary situation, especially for the children there that night.”

* Jimmy has produced a new Christmas CD in aid of the Francis House Children’s Hospice. It is priced at £5 and available for purchase from either the hospice direct or from the shop on this website.

Plugging Katie’s show at Edinburgh Fast Fringe 150 150 mhamer

Plugging Katie’s show at Edinburgh Fast Fringe

Jimmy Cricket's September column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket did a spot of promoting at this year’s popular Edinburgh Festival Fringe – but not for his own show.

The famous entertainer was there primarily to support his daughter, comedienne Katie Mulgrew, and that included some baby-sitting.

Katie, below right, had her own show at this year’s festival fringe called Saboteur.

Katie Mulgrew, Jimmy Cricket's daughter, had her own show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe called Saboteur

Jimmy, 70, not only popped along to see her act, but was present in Edinburgh to help look after his grandson, Jim, who is Katie’s nearly one-year-old baby.

And he ended up plugging her performance in a brief bit of his own stand-up at the Fast Fringe – as he told readers of his latest column in the Lancashire Evening Post.

“Comedians who have a show up in Edinburgh can go on the Fast Fringe and do a three-minute spot,” explained Jimmy.

“Then at the end of it, they say something like: ‘Well folks, if you’ve enjoyed my little stint, perhaps you might like to see my full 60-minute set. In that case, I’m appearing at…’ then they mention the location of their gig.

“… As I didn’t have a show of my own, when I finished my set I plugged Katie’s show instead.

“Well, I had a stab at this but as I struggled to remember the exact location, I heard my daughter’s voice from the audience shout ‘Sunnyside Social Club, Barraclough Street’.

“Well, you’ll have to admit it’s a bit of a tongue twister.

“A few days later, I went to see Katie’s show and I was as proud as punch!”

The secrets behind the BBC’s The Good Old Days 150 150 mhamer

The secrets behind the BBC’s The Good Old Days

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post about The Good Old Days on the BBC

Jimmy Cricket has been revealing some of the secrets behind the success of the TV comedy programme, The Good Old Days.

The all-round entertainer, now 70, appeared in the variety show, which ran for 30 years.

It was one of the BBC’s most watched light entertainment programmes of the 1970s and 1980s, and sought to re-create the heydays of music hall entertainment which had charmed audiences at the turn of the 19th century.

The BBC re-creation of the music hall held true to its historic format, as performers appeared in period costume and a chairman entertained those present with hearty introductions. Even audience members were instructed to attend in Victorian attire (see picture below).

This BBC series was filmed on location at one of the best-maintained music hall venues in the country – the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds.

Jimmy, one of the UK’s best-loved comedians, told readers of his latest Lancashire Evening Post monthly column that the success of the programme was down to one man – Leeds-born Barney Colehan.

The audience dressed in period costume for the Good Old Days programme at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds

“Barney had a unique gift for capturing the atmosphere of a live show and getting that across to the viewers in their living rooms.

“But there’s more… as someone who appeared on the show, I can lift the lid on some of the devices Barney used to make his show so popular.

“Firstly, he used the intimate and beautiful City Varieties Theatre in Leeds to transmit the shows from.

“He then put a live orchestra in the pit – with the right blend of instruments to capture the feel of the music hall.

“He brought in the avuncular and immensely likeable Leonard Sacks to act as chairman – from the start to the end of each show, Leonard struck up an irresistible rapport with the audience.

“And that, dear readers, was Barney’s trump card: the audience. But they weren’t just any old audience. Everyone sitting in the front seats were from amateur operatic societies up and down the country.”

Jimmy added: “Barney’s legacy is that the show he put his heart and soul into is now watched avidly on BBC Four every Friday night.

“It is enjoyed both by older viewers who remember it first time round and new viewers who are loving it for the first time.”

Although the BBC finished producing the Good Old Days TV show during the 1980s, the City Varieties Theatre is still open and continues to flourish. It even went through an extensive restoration phase a few years ago and to this day presents a varied diet of music, comedy and drama, including its very own version of The Good Old Days.

 * Jimmy will be appearing in a live recreation of The Good Old Days at the City Varieties in Leeds on 23 and 24 September. For more details, click here. 

The day pop legend Gladys Knight blew me a kiss in Las Vegas 150 150 mhamer

The day pop legend Gladys Knight blew me a kiss in Las Vegas

Jimmy Cricket's Lancashire Evening Post column

Jimmy Cricket has been remembering the one and only time he went to Las Vegas – where a music legend blew him a kiss!

In his Lancashire Evening Post column for April, the well-known comedian, 70, recalls his visit about 15 years ago to the United States city of Vegas, famed for its gambling and endless entertainment.

Having entertained passengers on the flight across the Atlantic, Jimmy says he and Mrs Cricket went to see Gladys Knight in concert.

Known as the “Empress of Soul”, she is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She is best known for the hits she recorded during the 1960s and 1970s with her group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which also included her brother and two cousins.

Jimmy says in his column: “At the end of her set, Gladys walked along shaking hands with any members of the audience that went to the front of the stage.

“With a bit of coaxing from Mrs Cricket, I made a bee line towards the great lady. Unfortunately I didn’t quite get the timing right. As I thrust my hand towards the stage Gladys moved on. I missed her hand by a second. As my outstretched hand stood suspended in mid-air in the full glare of the spotlight, I felt the eyes of the whole audience was up on me.

“Then just before she disappeared into the wings, Gladys looked over to notice what had happened and, in a moment that is forever etched in my memory, she blew me a kiss!”

* Jimmy is appearing at the Lyndene Hotel in Blackpool every Wednesday and Saturday until the end of May.

Sir Terry Wogan: ‘Like losing a family friend’ 150 150 mhamer

Sir Terry Wogan: ‘Like losing a family friend’

Jimmy Cricket on Sir Terry Wogan in the Lancashire Evening PostJimmy Cricket has been fondly remembering the life of Sir Terry Wogan, who died last month aged 77.

Sir Terry, the genial Irishman who became one of the best-loved broadcasters in the UK, passed away on 31 January after a short battle with cancer.

In his latest column for the Lancashire Evening Post, Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy recalls the two occasions on which he met the famous presenter.

The first was after he had appeared on a TV talent show called Night Of A Thousand Stars which Sir Terry compered.

Jimmy reflects: “After my spot, I ran breathlessly round to find how I did from the doyen of all communicators.

“In his unmistakeable tones, he gave me a resounding ‘that was great, Jimmy!’ For a fledgling entertainer, it was just what I wanted to hear.”

Jimmy, 70, continues: “A few years later, I appeared on his famous chat show. At the time, Dallas and Dynasty were the big things on television, with larger-than-life characters like JR Ewing in Dallas and Blake Carrington in Dynasty.

“Terry used to get a lot of mileage on his radio programme by gently sending up these American blockbusters. I worked up a routine about a British version of Dynasty and I played a character called, wait for it, Harrington Farrington from Warrington!

“I’m not actually sure how funny this pastiche was, but Terry – gracious as ever – led the audience with bucket-loads of laughter and applause. Afterwards in the hospitality suite, he was unstinting in his praise.”

He adds: “The emotion that poured out of people when they heard of his death a couple of weeks, ago revealed he was more than a broadcaster. Listeners felt they’d lost a family friend.”