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Next trip to Spain will include Madhouse shows 150 150 mhamer

Next trip to Spain will include Madhouse shows

Madhouse entertainment and activity centre

Jimmy Cricket’s next trip to the Coast Blanca region of Spain will be in June when he visits the Emerald Isle and the Madhouse.

With an ever-growing ex-pat market within the Alicante and Benidorm regions, famous entertainer Jimmy is finding himself flying there to perform shows on a more regular basis.

He was last in this region at the start of the year when he appeared to full houses at Coopers Bar in Ciudad Quesada and at Le Cabaret in Benissa over the first weekend of January.

His next visit will see him appear on Wednesday 1 June at the Emerald Isle in Orihuela Costa. Then he will move on to the Madhouse venue in neighbouring Villacosta, again in the Orihuela district, on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June.

This latest trip has been arranged by Simon Morton – executive director and administrator at local Costa Blanca radio station Sunshine FM (which you can listen to on 102.8 FM & 94 FM or listen live on www.sunshineradio.fm)

Emerald Isle

From sunny Spain to snowy Manchester 150 150 mhamer

From sunny Spain to snowy Manchester

Jimmy Cricket

Jimmy Cricket’s first work engagement of 2016 was a trip to the Costa Blanca in Spain.

Just as temperatures started to plummet in the UK, after what had been the mildest December on record, the famous entertainer was able to flee the UK to catch some warmer weather as he flew into Alicante for the weekend.

On arrival his first venue was Coopers Restaurant and Bar in the town of Ciudad Quesada, not far from Alicante itself.

This was an event which had been sold out for months, so everyone was in great spirits and eagerly anticipating Jimmy’s visit (pictures above and below).

Jimmy Cricket and friends

Jimmy said: “It went very well and I especially appreciated the hospitality provided by the owners of Coopers – Tim and Chanade.”

The next night Jimmy travelled to the other side of Benidorm, to the town of Benissa. This is where his friend Mike Lee runs a venue called Le Cabaret. Mike himself is a very good impersonator of the great Matt Munroe and is a versatile entrepreneur in Spain.

After working on two successive nights, Jimmy and his wife, May, were able to put their feet up and soak up some of the Spanish winter sunshine as they had a day off to themselves.

Then they were on their way back to Manchester and temperatures hovering just over zero, with a forecast of snow!

It’s Showtime in Tenerife! 150 150 mhamer

It’s Showtime in Tenerife!

Jimmy Cricket with the Showtime Tenerife teamFamous entertainer Jimmy Cricket met the Showtime team and caught up with some old neighbours when he performed recently on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

The Belfast-born and Rochdale-based comedian appeared at the Karting Las Americas club and then did a warm-up act a few days later for the Showtime Tenerife team. Chris Elkington, who was the promoter of Jimmy’s first show, is also the Showtime producer.

Jimmy said: “Chris is quite the entrepreneur on the island as he also runs an English radio station called Oasis FM and produces an English-speaking newspaper called Canarian Weekly.

“I really enjoyed the Showtime Tenerife show, which had a great array of talented singers and dancers who performed a number of songs from the shows.”

He added: “This was a great visit to the island for me, as, apart from the warm climate, I was well received when I appeared at the Showtime venue with the audience giving me a standing ovation!

“Thanks to the comedian Steve Salter for performing a great warm-up spot for me. [Steve also provided the photo above of Jimmy with the Showtime team].

“I was also thrilled to be able to catch up with some old neighbours of mine from Rochdale who were holidaying in Tenerife at the same time, and I invited Diane and David Ireland and their family to have some tea with me.

“All in all, a successful trip the Canary Islands!”

Maloney’s Big Moment 150 150 mhamer

Maloney’s Big Moment

Cast in Maloney's Big Moment: Colin Meredith, Cyril Walker, Katie Mulgrew (Jimmy’s daughter who is a stand-up comedian), Russell Richardson, Mark Whiteley, Steve Garner, Sarah Groarke-Booth and Jimmy CricketA newspaper story about a Spanish coastal town electing an English ex-pat as its mayor inspired top entertainer Jimmy Cricket to write a new radio play.

And Maloney’s Big Moment got its first public showing in front of a live audience at St Vincent’s Parish Centre in Rochdale.

Famous comedian Jimmy wrote the play after seeing the article and thinking it was a really fascinating scenario, especially as the elected candidate did not have a particular good grasp of Spanish!Radio producer Roger Neale

Joining Jimmy for the recording in early April was a host of locally based actors and actresses.

These included Colin Meredith, Cyril Walker, Katie Mulgrew (Jimmy’s daughter who is a stand-up comedian), Russell Richardson, Mark Whiteley, Steve Garner and Sarah Groarke-Booth (all the cast are in the photo above), alongside the production team of Gerry Coates and Roger Neale.

Roger Neale (right) came all the way from Mansfield to help out with the production of the play.

Gerry Coates, from the internet Catholic radio station called Heart Gives unto Heart, and Jimmy between them made the production happen.

Interestingly, the new radio station has been acquired by the national Catholic newspaper called The Universe and will now become a division under this paper’s banner.

It is hoped during the relaunch of the station that this radio play will feature prominently in the opening week’s schedule – watch out for further details on this website.

:: Thanks to John Kay for providing these two great photos from this event.

A big step nearer to the priesthood… 150 150 mhamer

A big step nearer to the priesthood…
The service was held at the St Mary’s College chapel

The service was held at the St Mary’s College chapel in Oscott, Birmingham

…that’s not Jimmy Cricket but his youngest son, Frankie Mulgrew.

Frankie has been ordained a deacon and is now just 12 months away from becoming a Roman Catholic priest.

The service was held in the chapel at St Mary’s College, Oscott in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham on Saturday (30 June).

His diaconate ordination means Frankie, who describes himself on Twitter as a trainee priest/ex-comic, is a deacon for the next year and can perform certain functions of the Catholic Church.

Frankie in his robes with his cousin Gavin

Frankie in his robes with his cousin Gavin

And on his Facebook page, Frankie said: “Many thanks all, for your very kind comments…and just to clarify, my little sis jumped the gun with the ‘Fr’ comment…I became a Deacon last sat… (I knew she’d dose off).

“Priesthood is hopefully just a year off.. but I’m still available for weddings, baptisms, funerals…sideline in balloon modelling, etc.”

Frankie’s journey to this point has involved six years of study, with his first 12 months at the English College in Valladolid in north-central Spain to participate in a pre-novitiate year (contemplative foundation).

He then moved to the five years of full study which has got him to this stage. Four of those years were at St Cuthbert’s College in Ushaw, Durham, but it closed a year ago and his studies were transferred to Birmingham.  He has one more academic year to undertake, which starts back in Birmingham in September.

His father, famous Irish comedian Jimmy,  said: “The service was a long one! It was two hours and 15 minutes. It involved 10 other candidates who were also ordained deacons and they were from Birmingham, Nottingham, Hallam and East Anglia, to name a few.

“The service was presided over by Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham. There were in total around 70 members of the clergy there to support the ordination of the 11 candidates, plus sisters and brothers from other religious orders. Add to that family members and friends, and it all meant the chapel was rather full.

Frankie celebrates with his family in a photo taken by Tim Vine

Frankie celebrates with his family in a photo taken by Tim Vine

“The service itself asks for a commitment from the deacon to the church and to the local bishop. It also involves the handing-out of a book of Gospels to the deacon and they also receive their vestments.

“There is also a vow of celibacy taken, so that a full and unencumbered life can be devoted to the ministry of the church.”

Comedian Tim Vine, a very good friend of Frankie, also attended the service to see Frankie being ordained a deacon.

Frankie has now started his summer placement at the parish of Our Lady of the Valley in Lancashire. It covers the Clitheroe and Sabden communities within the beautiful Ribble Valley.

Jimmy added: “Frankie had a placement back in January at this parish for a month and really enjoyed his time there. This time he is only there for a fortnight, before he travels to London where he has been appointed as a voluntary chaplain to the athletes at the Olympic Village during the Olympic Games.

“He then has a bit of time in August, before he returns to St Mary’s College at the start of September.”

Viva la Espana! 150 150 mhamer

Viva la Espana!
Jimmy with Mike and Val Sheehy

Jimmy with Mike and Val Sheehy

Famous Irish comic Jimmy Cricket appeared at a civic hall in the town of Moraira near Alicante in South East Spain.

The visit was arranged by Mike and Val Sheehy who are local entrepreneurs in the town and also promote visiting entertainers.

They used to run the Le Cabaret venue in the town, but are now concentrating all their efforts around establishing a local ‘sold gold’ 60s radio station for the local ex-pat community. This allows them to also present shows at this local civic hall – and Jimmy was one of the visiting guests.

He stayed in a lovely apartment owned by Mike and Val and enjoyed the two nights he appeared at the theatre in Moraira. Although Jimmy was the headline performer, the show also featured his wife, May Marion, and Mike himself doing a bit of crooning – he is a good performer in his own right.

Jimmy hopes to go back to the town some time in 2012.