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Don Estelle
Don Estelle (22 May 1933 – 2 August 2003) was an English actor and singer, best known as Gunner "Lofty" Sugden in '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum''. Early life Born Ronald Edwards in Crumpsall, Manchester, he was brought up in a house on Russell Street in the area. During the Second World War, at the age of eight, he was evacuated to Darwen, Lancashire to escape the Manchester Blitz. It was there he found his voice as a boy soprano at the local Holy Trinity Parish Church, and on returning home after the war, he continued singing at St Mary's Church, Crumpsall. He later joined a charity group, the Manchester Kentucky Minstrels, and with them, performed "Granada" in the 1954 talent show ''What Makes a Star?'' at BBC Radio's northern studios in Manchester. Career Estelle gained experience by singing one song 12 times a week in the show ''The Backyard Kids'' at the Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester. He met the actor Windsor Davies in 1962 at the Garrick Theatre in London and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' is a British television sitcom about a Royal Artillery concert party based in Deolali in British India and the fictional village of Tin Min in Burma, during the final months of the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had both served in similar roles in India during that war. Fifty-six episodes were broadcast across eight series on BBC1 between 1974 and 1981, covering a real-time historical period of approximately thirteen weeks. Each episode ran for thirty minutes. The title originates from the first episode, in which young Gunner Parkin ( Christopher Mitchell) writes home to his mother in England. In 1975, a recording of " Whispering Grass" performed by Don Estelle and Windsor Davies in character as Gunner "Lofty" Sugden and Sergeant Major Williams (respectively), reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for three weeks. The series, which attracted up to seventeen million viewers in its heyday, h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organisations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s and 30s, with the Raid Wardens' Service set up in 1937 to report on bombing incidents. Every local council was responsible for organising ARP wardens, messengers, ambulance drivers, rescue parties, and liaison with police and fire brigades. From 1 September 1939, ARP wardens enforced the " blackout". Heavy curtains and shutters were required on all private residences, commercial premises, and factories to prevent light escaping and so making them a possible marker for enemy bombers to locate their targets. With increased enemy bombing during the Blitz, the ARP services were central in reporting and dealing with bombing incidents. They managed the air raid sirens and ensured people were directed to shelters. Women were involved in ARP servi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roundabout Intersection
A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary,'' Volume 2, Clarendon Press, Oxford (1993), page 2632 In the United States, engineers use the term modern roundabout to refer to junctions installed after 1960 that incorporate design rules to increase safety. Compared to stop signs, traffic signals, and earlier forms of roundabouts, modern roundabouts reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions greatly by Traffic calming#Engineering measures, reducing traffic speeds through horizontal deflection and minimising Side collision#Broadside or T-bone collision, T-bone and head-on collisions. Variations on the basic concept include integration with tram or train lines, two-way flow, higher speeds and many others. For ped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The League Of Gentlemen
''The League of Gentlemen'' is a British surreal comedy horror series that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives of bizarre characters, most of whom are played by three of the show's four writers – Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith – who, along with Jeremy Dyson, formed the League of Gentlemen comedy troupe in 1995. The series originally aired for three series from 1999 until 2002, and was followed by a film '' The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse'' (2005), a stage production '' The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You!'' (2005), and another live show, ''The League of Gentlemen: Live Again!'' (2018) The BBC announced in August 2017 that three new episodes would be produced to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the group's first appearance on BBC Radio 4. The aforementioned episodes aired on BBC2 on 18–20 December 2017. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes ('' né'' Hyams; born 11 January 1935) is an English actor and voice-over performer. He is best known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', for appearing in the Cliff Richard musical films '' The Young Ones'', '' Summer Holiday'' and '' Wonderful Life'' as well as '' Here Come the Double Deckers'' (1970–1971). Professional career Early life and stage roles Born in Wandsworth, South London, Hayes attended Sir Walter St John's Grammar School For Boys, Battersea. As a youth he worked in Fleet Street, carrying advertising print blocks between newspapers. In 1950, he saw an advertisement seeking an assistant for the conjurer The Great Massoni. He got the job and was soon "disappearing twice daily for £4 per week" performing the Indian rope trick in Maskelyne's Mysteries at The Comedy Theatre in London. He was also in a theatrical troupe called Terry's Juveniles and later appear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Movie
"The Movie" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (and the 54th episode overall). It first aired on NBC in the United States on January 6, 1993. The episode revolves entirely around the characters' struggles to go to see a movie together. Plot Jerry has two stand-up acts scheduled for the same night; due to a delay in one of them, he cannot make both shows. A hopeful comedian, Buckles, hangs around to fill in when somebody drops out. Jerry intended to meet his friends to see a movie, ''CheckMate'', at 10:30. However, given the situation, he agrees to skip the movie and reschedule his act to the 11:00 slot. Jerry first heads to the earlier scheduled comedy act, only to learn that the act was scheduled for 9:15, not 9:50 as Jerry thought, and Buckles ended up filling his spot. Jerry then heads to the movie theater to inform his friends that he won't accompany them. Buckles insists on sharing the taxicab with Jerry, and irrit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Private Function
''A Private Function'' is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding in West Yorkshire. The film was also screened in the section of Un Certain Regard at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival. Synopsis In a small town in Northern England in 1947, the citizens endure continuing food rationing. Some local businessmen want to hold a party to celebrate the royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip and illegally decide to raise a pig for that occasion. However, the pig is stolen by Gilbert Chilvers, who was encouraged to do so by his wife Joyce. Meanwhile, the local food inspector is determined to stop activities circumventing the food rationing. Cast Production Three pigs were used in the filming of ''A Private Function'' which were all named Betty. Producer Mark Shivas was advised by Intellectual Animals UK that the pigs used should be female and six months old so as to not be too large ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Not Now, Comrade
''Not Now, Comrade'' is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Ray Cooney and Harold Snoad and starring Leslie Phillips, Windsor Davies, Don Estelle and Ian Lavender. It was shot at Elstree studios as the sequel to ''Not Now, Darling'' (1973), and was the second in an intended series of "Not Now" films, with ''Not Now, Prime Minister'' pencilled in as a follow-up. But box office returns for this film, unlike those of its predecessor, were disappointing. It was the only feature film directed by Snoad. Plot Russian ballet dancer Rudi Petrovyan wants to defect. Unable to reach the British embassy and pursued by the KGB, he hides out with, and falls for, stripper Barbara Wilcox. But Rudi's planned escape in the boot of a Triumph backfires when he climbs into the wrong car, and he ends up in the country home of unsuspecting naval Commander Rimmington. Cast * Leslie Phillips as Commander Rimmington * Roy Kinnear as Hoskins * Windsor Davies as Constable Pulford * Don Estelle as B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paper Doll (The Mills Brothers Song)
"Paper Doll" was a hit song for The Mills Brothers. In the United States it held the number-one position on the ''Billboard'' singles chart for twelve weeks, from November 6, 1943, to January 22, 1944. The success of the song represented something of a revival for the group after a few years of declining sales. It is one of the fewer than 40 all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) physical copies worldwide. Author and inspiration The song was written in 1915 (although it was not published until 1930) by Johnny S. Black, whose greatest success would come with his song "Dardanella", which sold 5,000,000 copies in a recording by the bandleader Ben Selvin in 1920 and a further 2,000,000 copies of sheet music. In 1922, Black played "Paper Doll" to the music publisher Edward B. Marks on the violin, after which Marks bought it for $25 in advance royalties. Marks put "Paper Doll" on the market, but it was a flop. In 1936, Johnny Black died after a fight with a customer at his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whispering Grass
"Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)" is a popular song written by Fred Fisher and his daughter Doris Fisher. The notion of "whispering grass" which reveals a person's secrets extends back to Greek mythology, notably the myth of Midas. The song was first recorded by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra in 1940. The Ink Spots featuring Bill Kenny also recorded it the same year. A live instrumental version was played and recorded by Johnny Hodges with Duke Ellington and his orchestra in the Cristal Ballroom, Fargo, North Dakota, also in 1940. The song has been covered by numerous singers, including Ringo Starr on his 1970 album '' Sentimental Journey'' and Sandy Denny on her 1974 album '' Like an Old Fashioned Waltz''. In 1975, a version by the British actors Windsor Davies and Don Estelle topped the UK singles chart. Windsor Davies and Don Estelle version A version of "Whispering Grass" was recorded in 1975 by the British actors Windsor Davies and Don Estelle. Davies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below middle C to the G above middle C (i.e. B2 to G4) in choral music, and from the second B flat below middle C to the C above middle C (B2 to C5) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of tenor include the ''leggero'' tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor, and tenor buffo or . History The name "tenor" derives from the Latin word '' tenere'', which means "to hold". As noted in the "Tenor" article at ''Grove Music Online'': In polyphony between about 1250 and 1500, the enor was thestructurally fundamental (or 'holding') voice, vocal or instrumental; by the 15th century it came to signify the male voice that sang such parts. All other voices were normally calculated in relation to the ten ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
