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rochdale

Christmas ‘jam’ night benefits Francis House 150 150 mhamer

Christmas ‘jam’ night benefits Francis House

Great night at the Christmas Jam night at St Vincent’s Parish Hall with Jonathan Young, Mrs C. and our friend Moureen, with help from Kath on tea’s and coffee’s and Pauline who organised the raffle for @FrancisHouseCH

One of Jimmy Cricket’s favourite charities benefited from the famous funnyman’s Christmas ‘jam’ night.

The event, hosted by the popular Northern Irish entertainer and his wife May Marion every couple of months, takes place in the lounge area of St Vincent’s parish centre in his home town of Rochdale.

It started about a decade ago as an opportunity for Jimmy and other performers to try out new routines and is still going strong.

As a result, the famous entertainer has nicknamed those who regularly support these evenings as ‘Jimmy’s Jammers’.

At every event,  there is a raffle and the selling of refreshments, with all proceeds donated to a chosen charity.

Francis House Children’s Hospice, based in south Manchester, was the beneficiary of the Christmas ‘jam’ night on Tuesday (3 December).

Jonathan Young from The Bachelors, a great friend of Jimmy’s, also appeared at the event.

Jimmy, 74, tweeted: “Great night at the Christmas Jam night at St Vincent’s Parish Hall with Jonathan Young, Mrs C. and our friend Moureen.

“With help from Kath on tea’s and coffee’s and Pauline who organised the raffle for @FrancisHouseCH

The popular entertainer has raised around half-a-million pounds for the Didsbury charity over the years.
That is thanks to countless touring shows and parish hall events over almost two decades.
Care, support and friendship
Francis House cares for children and young adults with life-threatening conditions.
It provides a home from home where families can receive professional care, support and friendship.

The Rainbow Family Trust was set up in the early 1990s as a charity by Sister Aloysius and Father Thomas Mulheran.

They were concerned about the lack of palliative care for the families of children with a short life expectancy.

Opened by Princess Diana

As a result, the seven-bedroom Francis House opened in November 1991, with Diana, Princess of Wales, officially doing the honours.

It was only the fifth children’s hospice built in the UK and the world.

Find out where Jimmy is performing and his other forthcoming shows by viewing all his tour dates on this website.
Derby show is latest in busy Christmas schedule 150 150 mhamer

Derby show is latest in busy Christmas schedule

My thanks to organiser Steve at the Irish Club in Derby, it was great to catch up with the members and friends from my last few visits there to this wonderful city!
The Irish Club in Derby was the latest show during Jimmy Cricket’s busy Christmas season.

Saturday’s event was the fifth of 12 in just under five weeks for the well-known funnyman.

Jimmy Cricket enjoyed his show at the Irish Club in Derby during his busy Christmas season.
Jimmy, 74, tweeted: “My thanks to organiser Steve at the Irish Club in Derby.
“It was great to catch up with the members and friends from my last few visits there to this wonderful city!????
His next destinations include Rochdale (3 December), Bolton-by-Bowland (6 December) and Blackburn (8 December), the latest a recent addition to the schedule.
And then on 11 December, Jimmy is back at his favourite Blackpool hotel.

The famous entertainer has been doing regular shows at the Lyndene for the past few years.

Several acts usually perform twice per night, once each in different lounges at the hotel.

Superb entertainment

The Lyndene Hotel, perched on the seafront, is one of Blackpool’s unique venues as it welcomes tourists and visitors all year round.

Its website says that it offers more than 141 fully equipped and tastefully decorated en suite bedrooms.

“The Lyndene Hotel offers superb compered entertainment EVERY NIGHT of the year,” it adds.

You can see the rest of Jimmy’s Lyndene dates for 2019 below.

Jimmy Cricket's Lyndene Hotel dates in 2019

Jimmy announced earlier this year that he is to spend a FIFTH season at the Lyndene Hotel.

See next year’s dates below and visit the hotel’s website here.

Find out where Jimmy is performing and his other forthcoming shows by viewing all his tour dates on this website.

Returning to what has become my second home working alongside many talented singers and old friends like @MALFORDUK , my thanks goes to Claire @TowerTopEnts and @LyndeneHotel the Manager Paul, and all the Team members for their hospitality and support over the last four years

Golden Wellie award: Latest winner is revealed! 150 150 mhamer

Golden Wellie award: Latest winner is revealed!

Great night at September’s Jam night at St Vincent’s, and we presented the Golden Wellie to Nathan Birks, for all his Charitable work!

Jimmy Cricket announced the latest winner of the Golden Wellie award at a regular charity event in Rochdale.

Nathan Birks (pictured above with Jimmy) received the prestigious accolade in recognition of all his charity work.

The presentation took place at one of Jimmy’s popular ‘jam’ nights in Rochdale.

Local, national and on occasions even international entertainers perform for nothing at the monthly event.

It takes place at St Vincent’s RC Parish Centre in Norden.

Famous comedian Jimmy and his great showbiz friend Eric Devereaux host the event alternately.

Jimmy has nicknamed those who regularly support these evenings as ‘Jimmy’s Jammers’.

At every event,  there is a raffle and refreshments, with all proceeds going to a chosen charity.

Jimmy said on social media: “Great night at September’s Jam night at St Vincent’s.

“We presented the Golden Wellie to Nathan Birks, for all his Charitable work! ????

Jimmy created the Golden Wellington, based on his trademark wellington boots, several years ago.

It is known for short as Golden Wellie.

Jimmy uses it to acknowledge a good deed or significant contribution to a community.

Read what happened on the ‘jam’ night in June.

Follow Jimmy on Twitter here.

See the Tour Dates section here to keep up to date with all Jimmy’s movements.

 

 

My football song intended to inspire Rochdale FC 150 150 mhamer

My football song intended to inspire Rochdale FC

Jimmy Cricket writes about football chants in his latest column in the Lancashire Post

Jimmy Cricket writes about football chants in his latest newspaper column.

The June article in the Lancashire Post begins: “The other morning I was eating my breakfast and it was going, snap crackle and pop, which surprised me. It was a kipper.

Then for some reason football songs came into my head. You know the ones fans sing to cheer on their favourite team. I don’t mean the things they chant like, ‘What a load of rubbish’, or, “There’s only one ‘insert coach or manager’s name here.’

No I mean the songs they adopt from other sources. Take the jazz classic, When the Saints Go Marching In, Manchester United fans have changed it to, When The Reds Go Marching In. West Ham fans have hijacked an old Music Hall song called, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, and wait till you hear this:

My son, who is a catholic Priest, (he calls me dad and I call him father), was given a a treat a few weeks ago when one of the parishioners in Salford invited him to Liverpool’s ground Anfield, to watch them take on Leicester City.

He said when the home crowd broke into, You’ll Never Walk Alone, the emotion was palpable. When my other son Dale, took his family to Portugal recently they went to see Sporting Lisbon play and the home fans were singing My Way.

All this is leading up to a secret I want to share with you: Many moons ago when I first arrived in my adopted town Rochdale, the local football were languishing at the bottom of their division and I, like a lot of club comics at the time did jokes chronicling their ineptitude.

Things like, I rang Rochdale Football Club and asked them what time was the kick off this coming Saturday. The voice at the other end said, ‘What time can you make it?’, and there’s more. The steward saw two guys climbing the wall at Rochdale Football Club. He shouted, ‘Hey, you two get back in and watch the match!’

Rochdale jam event is ‘lovely charity evening’ 150 150 mhamer

Rochdale jam event is ‘lovely charity evening’

Lovely Charity evening at St Vincent’s Jam night with special guest Jonathan Young, alongside Eric and Peter duetting, my thanks also to Kath on teas and coffees and Pauline and Nathan organising the raffle! 

Jonathan Young from The Bachelors, a popular music group originating from Dublin, was a special guest at Jimmy Cricket’s latest ‘jam’ night.

Famous Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy and his wife May host an night of entertainment every couple of months in the lounge area of St Vincent’s RC parish centre in their adopted home town of Rochdale.

It started more than a decade ago as an opportunity for Jimmy and other performers to try out new routines and is still going strong. At every event,  there is a raffle and the selling of refreshments, with all proceeds donated to a chosen charity.

The parish centre has just been renovated and this was the first jam night to be hosted there since the work had finished.

The popular comedian has nicknamed those who regularly support these evenings as ‘Jimmy’s Jammers’.

Different guests are invited to each show and Jonathan – who is in the cast for Jimmy’s play No More Fiffing & Faffing – performed at the latest jam event.

Jonathan has worked with many groups and musicians in Ireland, notably Van Morrison, and moved to England in 1967 settling in Manchester and working as a solo act on the northern cabaret circuit with such stars as the late Ken Dodd.

He has written many songs and also acted, starting as an extra in Coronation Street and working his way up to bigger parts, including playing the leading role in The Van Boys (2000) for which he earned rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival.

Jimmy posted on social media after the latest jam night: “Lovely Charity evening at St Vincent’s Jam night with special guest Jonathan Young, alongside Eric and Peter duetting, my thanks also to Kath on teas and coffees and Pauline and Nathan organising the raffle!  ????

 

Paying tribute to Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy 150 150 mhamer

Paying tribute to Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

 pay tribute to a fellow Irishman, and to the Silver Screen's Stan and Ollie, with a great performance from @Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly

Jimmy Cricket writes about his admiration for a legendary comedy duo in his latest newspaper column.

In the 1 April edition of the Lancashire Post, the popular Northern Irish entertainer reviews a recent film about the careers of Englishman Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy.

They acted during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema and became well known during the late 1920s to the mid-1940s for their slapstick comedy. Laurel played the clumsy friend of the pompous Hardy.

Jimmy’s column begins: I’ve just come back from doing my one man show at the Slapstick Comedy Festival in Bristol at the Studio adjoining the Old Vic Theatre. The festival was started by a guy called Chris Daniels who just loves visual and silent comedy.

“I did my live set sandwiched between movies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy up on the big wide screen. There’s been a resurgence of interest in Laurel and Hardy, mainly due to a biopic of the duo which went on general release in our cinemas recently called Stan and Ollie.

“In fact, I’ve been to see it twice. Well folks, our local Odeon Cinema here in Rochdale only charges a fiver to get in. It’s a moving, tender tribute to one of the funniest double acts ever to grace the silver screen; not only do Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel, and John C Reilly as Oliver Hardy get into the skin of these two lovable clowns, but the ladies that played their wives both give stunning performance as well.

“Nina Arianda plays Stan’s other half and Shirley Henderson is Ollie’s. I had a little inside information on this film. Steve Coogan’s Uncle Bernard takes his grandkids to the same school in Rochdale that I take mine, so I get some tasty nuggets of gossip in the playground.

“I looked at him enviously as he told me about getting the red carpet treatment when he got invited to the premiere of the movie up at the local cinema in Ulverston where Stan Laurel grew up. The only time I get to see a red carpet is when Mrs Cricket hands me the Hoover.”

Read Jimmy’s full column here

 

Christmas jam night in Rochdale with Maureen’s Tappers & ‘Elvis Presley’ 150 150 mhamer

Christmas jam night in Rochdale with Maureen’s Tappers & ‘Elvis Presley’

Great Festive Fun this evening at the, “St Vincent’s Jam Night”, with my fellow act Jim Nicholas and Maureen’s Tappers raising funds for #FrancisHouseCH 

Maureen’s Tappers and an Elvis Presley impersonator were among the acts at Jimmy’s Cricket’s Christmas jam night in Rochdale.

The event, hosted by the famous Northern Irish entertainer and his wife May Marion every couple of months,  takes place in the lounge area of St Vincent’s RC parish centre in his home town of Rochdale.

It started about a decade ago as an opportunity for Jimmy and other performers to try out new routines and is still going strong.

The famous entertainer has nicknamed those who regularly support these evenings as ‘Jimmy’s Jammers’.

At every event,  there is a raffle and the selling of refreshments, with all proceeds donated to a chosen charity.

Francis House Children’s Hospice, which is based in Didsburywas the beneficiary of the December jam night.

Famous funnyman Jimmy, 73, posted on social media: “Great Festive Fun this evening at the “St Vincent’s Jam Night”, with my fellow act Jim Nicholas [aka Elvis Presley] and Maureen’s Tappers raising funds for #FrancisHouseCH ?”