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‘Man in wellies & battered hat saves the day’ 150 150 mhamer

‘Man in wellies & battered hat saves the day’

Jimmy Cricket's latest column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket has been reminiscing about the era of the comedy song and how he hopes he has helped keep it alive.

In his latest column for the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post, the famous entertainer recalls “the many comedy and novelty songs that used to permeate the airwaves in the 50s and 60s”.

He adds: “Commercial radio stations all have playlists now. This means they only play songs that appeal to younger audiences , which companies who advertise with them deem to be possible customers. That’s how the commercial radio stations make their money.

Jimmy Cricket's Light & Shade

“However, you can still hear comedy and novelty songs on BBC radio stations, especially on their request shows.

“However, fear not dear readers.

“Just when you thought the comedy song was a footnote in the history of popular music, along comes the man in the wellies and the battered hat to save the day!

“Yes, my new CD called Light & Shade contains gems like ‘my budgie’s been tweeting for years’ and ‘I got blotto when I thought I’d won the lotto’.”

Light & Shade was officially released on 1 February and is available for £6 at www.jimmycricketshop.co.uk and at Jimmy’s live shows.

In the inside sleeve, Jimmy talks about the history behind the CD, which features a mixture of serious and comedy songs.

Another Redcoats reunion for Jimmy 150 150 mhamer

Another Redcoats reunion for Jimmy

Jimmy with some other former Butlins Redcoats

Jimmy Cricket had his latest Butlins Redcoat reunion when he was appearing at a Pontins holiday village earlier this summer.

Jimmy Cricket with Paul Ogden, another former Butlins Redcoat

The well-known comedian worked as a Redcoat at the Butlins sites in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, and Mosney near Dublin in Ireland during the late 1960s before becoming a household name on television.

He has met up with some of his old colleagues during the decades since then and this was actually the second time he had encountered this particular group of fellow former Redcoats – he also bumped into them the last time he was at Sand Bay Holiday Park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, a couple of years ago!

The photos are courtesy of Paul Ogden, with whom Jimmy can be seen right.

Above, Jimmy has actually managed to borrow a red coat from one of the group and is pictured alongside them all sharing some comedy banter.

* Redcoat is the name given to front-line staff at Butlins holiday camps in the UK. A Redcoat has duties ranging from adult entertainer or children’s entertainer to stewarding. Read more about them here.

Jimmy: Daughter’s CD is a ‘really nice listen’ 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy: Daughter’s CD is a ‘really nice listen’

Jimmy Cricket's daughter Jamie features on the cover of the CD called PilgrimJamie Mulgrew, one of Jimmy Cricket’s daughters, has written and recorded a new CD of Christian music.

She has recently been working with music producer Gerry Coates to create the collection called Pilgrim, which is available to buy here.

Jamie is also an assistant head teacher of a special needs school in Putney, south London.

Jimmy said: “She has always been a very talented singer. When she was at secondary school, she played the lead role of Maria in the school’s version of the musical the Sound of Music.

“I am thrilled that Jamie has released this CD and, after listening to it, think it has great production values and is a really nice listen.”

The Nobodies, stolen wellies & keeping busy 150 150 mhamer

The Nobodies, stolen wellies & keeping busy

Jimmy Cricket article in the Local Journal in RossendaleJimmy Cricket has been telling a magazine about how he met his wife May and why he still hopes his concrete wellies will one day be returned to him.

The famous entertainer is featured in the February edition of the  Local Journal in Rossendale – his house falls just metres inside the Rossendale border.

He moved there a couple of years ago  from his previous home in Rochdale which was less than a mile from where he now lives.

The article (above), written by Graham Ashworth, is headlined ‘Jimmy cricket is still bowling them over!’ and describes him as one of the country’s best-known comedians.

It says he was the last person to be interviewed by Eamonn Andrews on the famous This
is your life programme and that it was at Pontins holiday camp in Morecambe where he met his wife May who was singing with a resident group called ‘The Nobodies’.

And Jimmy, who says he has no plans to hang up his wellies any time soon, has not given up hope that his concrete boots, which were stolen from his garden last summer, may yet turn up again eventually.

Comics join forces for family show 150 150 mhamer

Comics join forces for family show

The South Shields Gazette article on the Jimmy and Alfie Show Jimmy Cricket is teaming  up with fellow comedian Alfie Joey for a performance in South Shields this spring.

Northern Irish entertainment legend Jimmy and BBC Radio Newcastle breakfast presenter Alfie pair will feature in the aptly named ‘Jimmy and Alfie’ show at the Customs House Theatre on Saturday 10 May.

The South Shields Gazette recently published a newspaper article (right) about the gig, entitled “And there’s more for the whole family”.

Jimmy said: “A big thanks to senior reporter Vicki Newman for this great write-up.”

The newspaper’s website also has a story about the show in which Alfie  – who can also seen in BBC Two sitcom, Hebburn – says: “Jimmy and myself became pals in quite an unusual way.

“I had trained to become a priest and left to become a comedian, and his son, the comedian Frankie Doodle, was a comedian and gave it up to become a priest. He’s Fr Frank Mulgrew now.

“People said we’d been through the same thing, just in the opposite direction, and we got talking, and I realised who his dad was.

“I ended up being invited to Jimmy’s 60th birthday party and became a family friend, and we’ve done a few gigs before, but this will be the first one that’s just me and him.”

Centre of attention in Birmingham 150 150 mhamer

Centre of attention in Birmingham

Jimmy Cricket performing at the Birmingham Irish CentreThis great photo of famous entertainer Jimmy Cricket was taken when he appeared at the Birmingham Irish Centre.

Photographer Chris Egan posted the picture – which was also published in a publication for the Irish community living in the UK called the Irish Post – on his Twitter feed.

Jimmy said: “Thanks To Chris for posting this photo online and for more information on his photography services check out his website [http://www.chriseganphotography.com].”

At the show last autumn, Northern Irish funnyman Jimmy appeared with the traditional Irish musical outfit Irish Mist, a four-piece traditional/folk band.

Butlin’s reunion from the 1960s 150 150 mhamer

Butlin’s reunion from the 1960s

Frankie Whittle and Ernie Shrimp and his wife all went to watch Jimmy’s showJimmy Cricket caught up with some old friends during his summer season in Norfolk.

The well-known comedian was headlining the Great British Seaside Special at the Princess Theatre when he visited by some of his former Redcoat colleagues from the Butlin’s holiday site in Clacton-on-Sea.

Frankie Whittle and Ernie Shrimp and his wife all went to watch Jimmy’s show in Hunstanton and chat about the old times afterwards (picture above).

Jimmy said: “Frankie, Ernie and I were all at Butlin’s together in the late 1960s, so this was a wonderful reunion and a really nice way to catch up with these long-time friends.”