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Papal Knighthood

Don Maclean: Good things like my old pal are timeless 150 150 mhamer

Don Maclean: Good things like my old pal are timeless

Don Maclean made his latest appearnace at the West Cliff Theatre in August

Jimmy Cricket has paid tribute to his fellow funnyman and great friend Don Maclean who is still going strong at the age of 75.

Don is an English actor and comedian who appeared on the BBC television series Crackerjack with the likes of Michael Aspel in the 1970s.

He has appeared regularly at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea over the years and headlined the summer show there last month.

Jimmy, 73, said: “While a Butlin Redcoat in Clacton in 1967, I went to the West Cliff Theatre to see the summer show. The star comedian was Don Maclean.

“In 2019 the Westcliff is still going strong and guess who the star comedian of their summer show is?.. Don Maclean. Good things are timeless.”

The Clacton and Frinton gazette said on 9 August: “Clacton’s West Cliff Theatre Summer Show has got off to a flying start in its 125th anniversary year.

Golden age of variety

“The theatre’s summer variety is the longest running continuous show in the country and this year the West Cliff pulled out all the stops to celebrate the anniversary, including pulling in variety star Don Maclean to headline.

“The comic, who shot to fame in the BBC’s Crackerjack in the 1970s, was clearly at home on the West Cliff stage, where he first topped the bill in 1967.

“His quick wit and humour are reminiscent of a golden age of variety, but his routines are still laugh out loud funny for all ages.

“Don has been a regular visitor to the West Cliff and he also went down a storm in the fabulous one-off 125 Show celebration earlier this year.”

Don had travelled up for the service from his home in Solihull when Jimmy was invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great several years ago.

The service took place at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Rochdale in 2016. Don is himself a papal knight.

Story from the archives: Jimmy Cricket is appointed a papal knight

A Q&A with our favourite Northern Irish comic! 150 150 mhamer

A Q&A with our favourite Northern Irish comic!

Potters Resort blog on Jimmy Cricket's career

Jimmy Cricket talks about his Papal Knighthood, wellington boots and what makes him laugh in an online interview which was published recently on the Potters Resort blog.

Potters Resort is a modern five-star holiday village situated on the coastline border of Norfolk and Suffolk in Hopton-on-Sea.

An entry on Wikipedia – a free encyclopedia to which the public can contribute – says it was the first permanent holiday camp in the United Kingdom, opening its doors for the first time in 1920.

The Potters Resort blog did a question-and-answer style interview with famous Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy ahead of his forthcoming appearance at the holiday village and there are excerpts from the article below.Potters Resort blog on Jimmy Cricket's career

Potters Resort blog on Jimmy Cricket's career

Read the full blog by clicking this link.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, folks! 150 150 mhamer

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, folks!

Jimmy Cricket's Christmas card features new US president Donald TrumpDear readers,

I cannot believe 2016 is coming to an end and the Christmas season is once more upon us.

This year has been a fantastic one for me personally as it all started back in January with a service led by the Bishop of Salford to formally award me with my Papal Knighthood.

During the year I have also been fortunate to have:

·         Been involved in some great shows, such as the You Must Be Joking, which toured Northern Ireland back in the spring, and the opening weekend of The Good Old Days autumn season at the world-famous City Varieties Theatre in Leeds

·         Made a couple of appearances alongside my friend Tony Crane and the iconic 60s band The Merseybeats

·         Had trips to Spain to appear in some lovely venues around the Costa Blanca region

·         Paid visits to the Warner Leisure sites at Nidd Hall in Harrogate and Bembridge on the Isle of Wight

·         Did a spring season at the Lyndene Hotel in Blackpool

·         Continued to write a monthly column in the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post

·         And managed, at long last, to launch a new Christmas CD for the Francis House Children’s Hospice – a project I’ve been wanting to get off the ground for a couple of years. As I write this, I am nearing sales of more than 1,300 from this year’s festive period.

This Christmas I am at the White Rose Theatre in Leeds featuring in a panto production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

And then when we get into 2017, I immediately fly off to Tenerife for an appearance there early in the New Year!

And there’s more…

… Other highlights for 2017 include a return to the Benidorm Palace in March alongside Gerry and the Pacemakers; another residency back at the Lyndene Hotel in Blackpool over the winter, spring and the autumn; teaming up with my pals from  show band group Clubsound for a night in Northern Ireland In April; a visit to the Wayside Cheer Hotel in Guernsey over the Easter weekend; a voyage with Cruise & Maritime Voyages around the Faroe Islands in July; and plenty more to keep me out of mischief!

If you see me advertised at any venue near you in 2017, please do come along and say ‘Hi’!

That reminds me… can I thank all those who over the last year have either seen one of my shows, or browsed this website, or bought one of my CDs or DVDs.

All that remains for me to say, dear readers, is have a happy Christmas and a great start to the New Year!

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Master of his profession… champion of his faith 150 150 mhamer

Master of his profession… champion of his faith

The Universe article about Jimmy Cricket

Jimmy Cricket’s faith and his Papal Knighthood are among the topics of a recent feature written about the famous entertainer.

The article, by Leon Spence, was published in the Catholic Universe – the largest-selling Catholic newspaper for Great Britain and Ireland.

Jimmy, 70, is described as “the sort of comedian who young and old could appreciate”.

“He’s the kind of comedian who can deliver corny one-liners like ‘A sock is a sock to you and me but to the old woman who lived in a shoe it was wall-to-wall carpeting’ but still raise a belly laugh with professional timing and child-like wonderment.”

The feature reflects in some detail on the Papal Knighthood Jimmy (born with the surname Mulgrew) was awarded last year for his work in the community.

It is described as “an achievement he doesn’t advertise but with which he rightly silently glows with pride when mentioned”.

And it concludes: “Readers will be fully aware that celebrity interviews are not my regular area of writing. Politics and the state of the world are something which floats my boat more. But perhaps all of us, from time to time, have a duty to ask what life is all about?

“Seeing a man like Jimmy Mulgrew in action, a master of his profession on stage and someone proud to wear his faith on his sleeve off it, isn’t a bad place to start trying to emulate.”

‘I was beginning to think there’d been a mistake’ 150 150 mhamer

‘I was beginning to think there’d been a mistake’

Jimmy Cricket's Lancashire Evening Post columnJimmy Cricket has been reliving the moment he was told he had been awarded a Papal Knighthood by Pope Francis.

The famous entertainer, 70, tells Lancashire Evening Post readers in his latest monthly column that he thought there had been a mistake at first.

“It was a Friday afternoon in early October when Father Joe Sweeney, my  local parish priest from St Patrick’s (here in Rochdale) turned up at my door,” he recalls.

“As I brought him into the living room, I noticed he was carrying a large package.

“He said: ‘Jimmy, I’ve got a surprise for you. Would you like to sit down?’ He then opened the package to reveal a large certificate written in Latin.”

Adds Jimmy: “As he handed it to me and I looked closer, I could make out my real name in large letters – Jacob Joseph Mulgrew. As my full name is James Joseph Mulgrew, I was beginning to think there’d been a mistake.

“Then it dawned on me. Jacob must be Latin for James. Then I started to get excited.”

The veteran comedian was told he had been awarded a Papal Knighthood for all the work he had done over the years in support of charitable causes.

Jimmy was invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great in a special Mass at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in January, presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Salford, Rt Rev John Arnold.

His LEP column for March continues: “All in all I was thrilled and humbled in equal degree at such an honour bestowed on me.

“Among some of the people who have received Papal Knighthoods in the past are Matt Busby, Bob Hope and Oskar Schindler. So you can see I’m in illustrious company.”

Picture special: James Mulgrew is appointed a papal knight 150 150 mhamer

Picture special: James Mulgrew is appointed a papal knight

Jimmy Cricket receives his Papal Knighthood from the Bishop of Salford, Rt Rev John ArnoldFamous entertainer Jimmy Cricket, aka James Mulgrew, has been invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Rochdale.

The service on Saturday 16 January was presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Salford, Rt Rev John Arnold.

Jimmy’s son, Fr Frankie Mulgrew, attended along with the parish priest of St Patrick’s – Rev Joe Sweeney, one of the Vicar Generals of Salford – Cannon Michael Cooke – and friends of Jimmy, Fr Des O’Driscoll and Fr Tom Mulheran.

Also present at the service was fellow comedian and papal knight, Don Maclean, who had travelled up for the service from his home in Solihull in the West Midlands.

The proposer of the award was Bill Lees. At first he did not know whether he could make the service due to a prior commitment, but in the end only missed the first 10 minutes and was able to make the rest of this special occasion.

The role of sponsor during the investiture part of the ceremony (pictured above) was taken by Lord David Alton.

During the service the choir from St Patrick’s primary school sang and there was also a song of reflection sung by Jimmy’s daughter, Katie.

After the service, a reception was held at the nearby St Vincent’s Parish Hall in Norden and most people who had attended the Mass were able to continue to celebrate with Jimmy on what was a memorable day for all.

* Click on either of the arrow-shaped play buttons above to watch a slideshow of pictures. The photographs  (apart from the cover of the order of service) were provided by Michael Davis.