Newspaper Column

HOLD THAT STORY…

It was in 2014 when I was playing in the pantomime Snow White at the Charter Theatre in Preston, that I got a call from a young lady called Aasma Day. She said she was the features editor for the Lancashire Evening News and would I like to contribute a column.

I took my first tentative steps by doing a feature on the Panto itself and my second offering was suggested by a fellow Panto performer Pete Lindup. He’d remembering seeing the great American Crooner Bing Crosby at a live concert at the Guildhall in Preston and that there was some talk of him coming to Preston on the train. I thought, Bing, on an away day, surely not. Lo and behold folks it was true. Through a mix up with his tour promoter Bing had to take the rattler from London to Preston. The Lancashire Evening Post even provided me with an archive photo of him getting off the platform at Preston station to go with the story.

Although I had limited journalistic experience in those days, with Aasma’s encouragement I improved and even as I write this, I’m still rolling them out every couple of months.

I enjoy it. The columns have helped me formulate ideas for other projects I’m involved with. Hopefully they give readers an insight into the whacky world of a jobbing Comedian. I like to relate amusing anecdotes from the past and at the same time use it as a platform to promote up and coming future events. In between I’ve done tributes to some of the most amazingly talented people who have passed on and who it has been my incredible good fortune to know.

My sincere thanks go to my very good friend Simon M Lewis (79DESIGN) for his wonderful talent in laying out all the columns in such an efficient and professional manner.