|
Butlins Redcoats
''Redcoat'' is the name given to frontline staff at Butlin's holiday camps in the UK. A Redcoat has duties ranging from adult entertainer or children's entertainer to crowd control, stewarding. History The first Redcoat was Norman Bradford. When Sir Billy Butlin opened his first Butlin's in Skegness he realised that his guests were not engaging with activities in the way he had envisioned: most kept to themselves, and others looked bored. He asked Bradford – who was engaged as an engineer, constructing the camp – to take on the duty of entertaining the guests which he did with a series of Icebreaker (facilitation), icebreakers and jokes. By the end of the night the camp was buzzing and the Butlins atmosphere was born. The same night Butlin decided that for his camp to work he would require an army of people to carry out the same job as Norman, and the role of Redcoat was formed. Uniform To make his new army stand out, Butlin asked Norman to purchase a uniform. Norman lat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Performing Arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Performing arts include a range of disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theatre, music, and dance. Theatre, music, gymnastics, object manipulation, and other kinds of performances are present in all human cultures. The history of music and dance date to pre-historic times whereas circus skills date to at least Ancient Egypt. Many performing arts are performed professionally. Performance can be in purpose-built buildings, such as theatres and opera houses; on open air stages at festivals; on stages in tents, as in circuses; or on the street. Live performances before an audience are a form of entertainment. The development of audio and video recording has allowed for private consumption of the performin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warner Leisure Hotels
Warner Hotels (formally Warner Leisure Hotels) is a hospitality company owning 14 country and coastal properties around the UK in North Wales, Somerset, Herefordshire, Berkshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Isle of Wight, Suffolk, Hampshire and Warwickshire. Founded in 1932 as Warner Holiday Camps, later known as Warner Holidays and has been adult only since 1994. In the 1990s Warner's started developing country house hotels and changing their existing 'camps' into coastal resorts and hotels. History 1932–2023 Captain Harry Warner (Royal Artillery Rtd) founded Warners in 1932 with the opening of the Northney Holiday Camp at Hayling Island. Further expanding by opening Coronation Holiday Camp (now known as Lakeside Coastal Village) in 1937 as well as Dovercourt in Essex, Corton in Suffolk, Minster in Kent, Seaton in Devon and Puckpool on the Isle of Wight. After WWII Warner continued to expand with his three sons Bill, John and Alen joining the company. By the mid 1960s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oliver Reed
Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor, known for his upper-middle class, macho image and his heavy-drinking, "hellraiser" lifestyle. His screen career spanned over 40 years, between 1955 and 1999. At the peak of his career, in 1971, British exhibitors voted Reed fifth-most-popular star at the box office. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Film Productions, Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his notable film roles included La Bete in ''The Trap (1966 film), The Trap'' (1966), Bill Sikes in ''Oliver! (film), Oliver!'' (a film directed by his uncle Carol Reed that won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Picture), Gerald in ''Women in Love (film), Women in Love'' (1969), the title role in ''Hannibal Brooks'' (1969), Urbain Grandier in ''The Devils (film), The Devils'' (1971), Athos (character), Athos in ''The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film), The Three Musketeers'' (1973) and ''The Four Musketeers (1974 f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of existing texts, or biographies, notably of composers of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he made creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for Film studio, studios. Russell is best known for his Academy Award-winning romantic drama film ''Women in Love (film), Women in Love'' (1969); the historical drama horror film ''The Devils (film), The Devils'' (1971); the musical fantasy film ''Tommy (1975 film), Tommy'' (1975), featuring the Who; and the science fiction horror film ''Altered States'' (1980). Russell also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composers, such as Elgar (film), Elgar, S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy (1975 Film)
''Tommy'' is a 1975 British psychedelic musical fantasy drama film written and directed by Ken Russell and based on The Who's 1969 rock opera album '' Tommy'' about a psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind boy who becomes a pinball champion and religious leader. The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast, including the members of The Who themselves (most notably, lead singer Roger Daltrey, who plays the title role), Oliver Reed, Ann-Margret, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jack Nicholson, Robert Powell and Tina Turner. An independent production by Russell and Robert Stigwood, ''Tommy'' was released by Columbia Pictures in the US on 19 March 1975 while in the UK it was released by Hemdale Film Corporation on 26 March 1975. Ann-Margret received a Golden Globe Award for her performance and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Pete Townshend was also nominated for an Oscar for his work in scoring and adapting the music for the film. The film was shown at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Who
The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, their contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall Stack, Marshall stack, large public address systems, the use of synthesizers, Entwistle's and Moon's influential playing styles, Townshend's Guitar feedback, feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera. They are cited as an influence by many hard rock, punk rock, punk, power pop and mod (subculture), mod bands. The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Who evolved from an earlier group, the Detours, and established themselves as part of the pop art and mod (subculture), mod movements, featuring auto-destructive art by Instrument destruction, destr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry Island (holiday Camp)
Barry Island was a Butlin's (and later a ''Majestic Holidays'') holiday camp located on Barry Island in Wales. It opened in 1966 and closed in 1996. History Barry Island () is a small seaside resort in the Bristol Channel () about 9 miles (14 km) south by south west of Cardiff, (), south Wales. Until 1896, when a rail link was completed from the mainland, the only access to Barry Island was either by foot across the sand and mud at low tide, or, when the tide was in, by Yellow Funnel Line paddle steamer. Over 150,000 visitors were recorded arriving one August Bank Holiday weekend, mostly by train. Further tourist attractions were developed on the island, and by 1934, the number of visitors to the fairground during the August Bank Holiday week was over 400,000. Butlins Billy Butlin's inspiration for his holiday empire came from a less than happy holiday to Barry Island in his youth, when he'd been locked out of his B&B all day by his landlady. He finally decided to build o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling Spacecraft, spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating List of Doctor Who villains, foes. The Doctor usually travels with Companion (Doctor Who), companions. Beginning with William Hartnell, List of actors who have played the Doctor, fourteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor; the most recent being Ncuti Gatwa, who portrayed the Fifteenth Doctor from 2023 to 2025. The transition between actors is written into the plot of the series with the Regeneration ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Croft (TV Producer)
Major David John Croft (born David John Andrew Sharland; 7 September 1922 – 27 September 2011) was an English television comedy screenwriter, producer and director. He produced and wrote a string of BBC sitcoms with partners Jimmy Perry and Jeremy Lloyd, including ''Dad's Army'', ''Are You Being Served?'', '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', '' Hi-de-Hi!'' and '''Allo 'Allo!'' Early life Croft was born into a show business family: his father, Reginald Sharland (1886–1944), had a successful career as a radio actor in Hollywood, and his mother, Annie Croft (1896–1959), was a famous stage actress who had starred in the 1927 silent film ''On With The Dance,'' she was also the first woman to own a West End theatre company. His first public appearance was at the age of seven, when he was seen in a commercial which aired in cinemas. After that, his acting career in films "began and ended" with his uncredited appearance as Perkins in the film ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939). The family l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Perry
James Perry (20 September 1923 – 23 October 2016) was an English scriptwriter and actor. He devised and co-wrote the BBC sitcoms ''Dad's Army'' (1968–1977), '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' (1974–1981), '' Hi-de-Hi!'' (1980–1988) and '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1988–1993), all with David Croft. Perry co-wrote the theme tune of ''Dad's Army'', "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?" along with Derek Taverner, for which Perry received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1971. Early life Perry was born in Barnes, Surrey on 20 September 1923.Simon Morgan-Russell, "Perry, James (Jimmy) (1923–2016)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 202available online Retrieved 25 August 2020. His father, Arthur, was an antiques dealer, whose shop was in South Kensington, London. He was a founder of the British Antique Dealers' Association. His son was educated at two independent schools, Colet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hi-de-Hi!
''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a British sitcom created by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and produced for the BBC. The programme initially began with a pilot on 1 January 1980 and aired for nine series between 26 February 1981 and 30 January 1988, and starred Paul Shane, Su Pollard, Jeffrey Holland, Ruth Madoc and Simon Cadell. Inspired by Perry's time serving as a Redcoat at Butlin's, the series takes place within the fictional Maplins holiday camp in Essex towards the end of the traditional British holiday period of the 1950s. The episodes themselves focus on the lives of the camp's entertainers and staff, who frequently greet campers with the titular phrase "Hi-de-Hi!", and consist mostly of struggling actors, comedians, wannabe stars, and has-been entertainers. The programme proved popular from its launch, gaining large audiences during its broadcast; its popularity helped it to win a BAFTA as Best Comedy Series in 1984. In a 2008 poll on Channel 4, ''Hi-de-Hi!'' was voted the 35th m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
