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the good old days

Bernie Clifton will have you laughing and crying! 150 150 mhamer

Bernie Clifton will have you laughing and crying!

Bernie Clifton will have you laughing and crying!

Bernie Clifton will have you “laughing hysterically at his visual comedy one minute, and sobbing the next when he performs a song like Bring Him Home from the stage musical Les Misérables”.

Fellow funnyman Jimmy Cricket devoted his latest newspaper column to Bernie, who is still performing despite approaching his 90s.

Below is Jimmy’s April column published in the Lancashire Evening Post.

When a pair of concrete wellingtons that the late Sir Ken Dodd gave me as a birthday present went missing from my front garden, I was taken back by the publicity it aroused.

A few weeks after the fuss had died down, I received an email from comedian Bernie Clifton.

It read: “Jimmy, let me know when you’ve had enough publicity from this and I’ll bring them back.”

I roared with laughter.

At the ripe young age of 87, our Bernie is still touring the country gigging, playing practical jokes and spreading happiness everywhere he goes.

Let’s go back to where it all began.

Bernie Quinn was born in St Helens just before the Second World War started and spent his childhood hiding under his bed when the sirens went off.

He was only four years old when a bomb fell on their neighbour’s house four doors away.

Their 14-year-old daughter who used to teach him magic tricks perished in the blast; in his profound sadness, he realised at that early age how fragile life can be.

Kids wore clogs to school in those days and although he scraped through his 11 plus, it was all downhill from then on in.

Happily scoring touchdowns

He was more interested in who was number one in the hit parade of the day, than what went on in the classroom.

His mum persuaded him to become an apprentice plumber, but after he flooded half the neighbourhood that all came to an abrupt end.

Conscription came calling and he joined the RAF.

When he showed his skills as a rugby league player, they signed him up for the local air base team and he sailed through his National Service happily scoring touchdowns.

Reading his autobiography recently, I was quite taken aback at how much Bernie and I had in common.

We both frittered away our time at school; we both messed up every job we took up.

It was only when we both entered the entertainment profession that we found our true calling

In Bernie’s case, it was when he got up to sing with the local dance band in his hometown of St Helens.

Queen Elizabeth giggling at his antics

From there he toured the Yorkshire social clubs as a vocalist, before he found his true calling in comedy.

He got his first big break on the television variety show The Good Old Days, where he met comedy legend Les Dawson who advised him to be a prop comic.

Not long after that, a famous propmaker made Bernie the prop that was to become his calling card – Oswald the Ostrich.

Bernie got so excited when he first saw it that he jumped into it and ran outside.

The sight of a grown man running up and down the street in false ostrich legs had passers-by spellbound.

Would you believe he actually ran the London marathon for charity in a lighter version of the costume?

From then on in, there was no looking back for our Bernard.

He became resident comedian on the children’s hit tv series Crackerjack.

The Royal Variety show beckoned where he had her Majesty Queen Elizabeth giggling at his antics.

Naturally our career paths have crossed from time to time and I’m always in awe the way he radiates the same enthusiasm and energy for comedy, and showbiz, in his eighties, that he had when he started out as a ballroom band singer.

Try to catch his live act readers. He’ll have you laughing hysterically at his visual comedy one minute, and sobbing the next when he performs a song like Bring Him Home from the stage musical Les Misérables.

In the meantime, treat yourselves to his autobiography, Crackerjack to Vegas (www.bannisterpublications.com).

See you next month!

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!

Jimmy Cricket's signature

‘Yorkshire people are so warm and friendly’ 150 150 mhamer

‘Yorkshire people are so warm and friendly’

The Dewsbury Press newspaper article about Jimmy CricketJimmy Cricket clearly put on a memorable performance when he headlined an old-style Music Hall show at the world-famous City Varieties theatre in Leeds.

An article (right) in the Dewsbury Press newspaper said the 70-year-old entertainer played to a full house and got a standing ovation.

Jimmy is quoted as saying: “I love playing here as Yorkshire people are so warm and friendly.”

Each year the City Varieties recreates a version of Music Hall, an incredibly popular format for theatre during Victorian Britain.

The venue in Leeds is synonymous with Music Hall as not only was it built to stage these shows, but it was also the location where the very popular and much-loved BBC light entertainment show called  The Good Old Days was filmed during the 1970s and 1980s.

The show – Jimmy appeared in the original in the 80s – retains its eternal popularity as the reruns of it on BBC4 on Friday evenings attract significant viewing figures.

City Varieties theatre hosts Music Hall shows 150 150 mhamer

City Varieties theatre hosts Music Hall shows

The Good Old Days show at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds

Jimmy Cricket went back in time when he appeared on the opening weekend of the autumn 2016 season at the world-famous City Varieties Music Hall theatre in Leeds.

Jimmy Cricket appeared in The Good Old Days show at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds

Each year the City Varieties recreates a version of Music Hall, an incredibly popular format for theatre during Victorian Britain.

The venue in Leeds is synonymous with Music Hall, as not only was it built to stage these shows, but it was also the location where the very popular and much-loved BBC light entertainment show called  The Good Old Days was filmed during the 1970s & 1980s.

The show – Jimmy appeared in the original in the 80s – retains its eternal popularity as the reruns of it on BBC4 on Friday evenings attract significant viewing figures.

The City Varieties Music Hall theatre Jimmy, 70, headlined the first show of autumn 2016 where there was the typical chairman figure, who presided over proceedings and linked in to every artist with a cacophony of words – in this instance the role was played by the very experienced Johnny Dennis.

Also on the bill was the talented plate spinner Andy Van Buren and the highly skilled ukulele player and vocalist Wendy King – both gifted performers who are also good friends of Jimmy.

Comedian Jimmy said: “I was thrilled to participate in this Music Hall show, which continues a long-held tradition at this unique and historic venue set within the heart of Leeds city centre.”

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. 

Jimmy Cricket to make nostalgic Leeds return 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket to make nostalgic Leeds return

Jimmy Cricket performed in the Good Old Days at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds
A “thrilled” Jimmy Cricket returns to the legendary City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds – and goes back to the 1980s – later this year.

The famous entertainer, 70, says he is delighted he has been invited to headline the first weekend of the City Varieties’ 2016 Good Old Days season on 23 and 24 September.

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

A variety show, The Good Old Days was one of the BBC’s most watched light entertainment programmes of the 1970s and 1980s.

It  sought to re-create the heydays of Music Hall, which 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 (above right).

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

Although the BBC finished producing The Good Old Days TV show during the 1980s, the host venue 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.

The shows in September will be nostalgia-filled as Jimmy appeared in the original BBC series and his performance continues to feature on the home page of this website. Images shown with this article are from his appearance decades ago.

PLEASE NOTE THAT RE-RUNS OF THE ORIGINAL BBC TV SHOW ARE NOW BEING SHOWN ON A FRIDAY NIGHT ON BBC4 – FOR MORE INFO: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes

Jimmy Cricket performed in the Good Old Days at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds

Whatever happened to…? 150 150 mhamer

Whatever happened to…?

Jimmy Cricket feature in the Daily Express

Famous Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket relived his successful showbiz career in a recent article in a British national newspaper.

The feature, written by Tony Padman, appeared in the magazine section of last Saturday’s Daily Express.