A Famous Theatre The London Palladium is one of the most well-known theatres in the world. It is situated in London’s West End, Argyll street, just off Oxford Circus. its proud columns pay tribute to the kings of comedy and entertainment who have worked this now famous grade two listed building which was first built…
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Arnold Palmer was one of the game of golf’s most colourful and charismatic figures. It was Palmer’s magnificent ability and the way he played the game in the late fifties and sixties that drew the crowds and eventually the TV cameras to the sport. In his career Palmer won 91 professional tour titles including 62…
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[slideshow_deploy id=’2306′] The news of ‘The Great British Bake off’, one of BBC’s flagship programmes, leaving its comfortable TV home to attempt untried terrestrial territory, has raised questions and underlined the broadcasting world we now live in. The negotiations between The BBC and the owners of ‘Bake off’ reached stalemate, enter Channel 4 who outbid…
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Welsh actor Robert Pugh joined a business lunch to discuss his substantial career as an actor. Not necessarily a household name but a performer who has worked with the best and continued to work. He is known to all ‘Game of Thrones’ fans as ‘Craster’ the evil one. Bob mentioned recently ‘Kids come up to…
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Brighton’s new i360 has been controversial in its conception and now completed, forms a strong feature on the seafront landscape. Most are in positive mood for this new £46 million tourist attraction housed in front of the old West Pier which closed in 1975. The crumbling, rusting iron work of the famous pier has become…
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Anyone who wants to perform comedy would dream of having facial features like Gene Wilder, wonderfully expressive with eyes that communicated great emotion often combined with a classical acting technique approach to his in work. Comedian Jim Carrey described Wilder as ‘one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take a human form’. Indeed,…
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Having been pushed to the back as a child actor during the filming of ‘Chitty Chitty, Bang, Bang’ as he looked too healthy for a starving child in the famous cave scene, Martin Beaumont went on to star on Saturday night TV in the eighties. When the show was cancelled Martin redefined himself as a…
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Check out some of the funniest and most comical Quiz Show Contestant Bloomers, gaffes, errors, mistakes and slip ups. LINCS FM PHONE-IN Presenter: Which is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world? Contestant: Barcelona. Presenter: I was really after the name of a country. Contestant: I’m sorry, I don’t know the names of any countries…
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Check out some of the funniest and most comical Quiz Show Contestant Gaffes, bloomers, errors, mistakes and slip ups. UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (BBC2) Jeremy Paxman: What is another name for ‘cherrypickers’ and ‘cheesemongers’? Contestant: Homosexuals ?. Jeremy Paxman: No. They’re regiments in the British Army who will be very upset with you. BEG, BORROW OR STEAL…
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Having over five hundred autobiographies on my office shelf of various sports stars, show-business personalities in particular comedians and the odd politician, there is always some book I come across which for some reason has passed me by. One such publication was Arthur Smith’s entitled ‘My name is Daphne Fairfax’ (2009) in reference to a…
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Richard Inverne visits Stratford-upon-Avon, in search of some Comedy by Shakespeare. 1. Putting on Comedy by Shakespeare The FIRST way to enjoy a Shakespeare comedy… is the play has to be put on! What might seem obvious simply wasn’t the case on Tuesday 19 July when arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon for a handful of plays, including…
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The Romford Pelé better known as former footballer Ray Parlour ‘rabona-ed’ an audience of sports fans at Sussex Cricket Club with highly amusing anecdotes from a playing career with Arsenal lasting 12 years (1992-2004). Appearing in 333 games for the club and winning three Premier League titles (1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04), four FA Cup wins (1993,…
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Four interesting and varied keynote speakers opened the first in a series of business seminars; entitled Grow, Develop, Discover and Influence by Sussex Chamber of Commerce at the Jury’s Waterfront Hotel. With Caprice Bourret leading the way for female speakers at business events. Caprice Does The Business The speakers were described by Chief Executive, Ana Christie…
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Having attended a few meetings and late night dinners at The Ivy restaurant & club over the years. It was intriguing to be invited to a small intimate gathering of British Olympic Athletes for a charity sports quiz night event. Raising funds for the Diana Award Charity which is a legacy to Princess Diana’s belief;…
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Caroline Aherne was a character actress and comedian who made some wonderful original TV shows in the nineties. ‘Royal Family’ and ‘Mrs Merton’ were probably her most noted but she also starred in the cast of ‘The Fast show’ from 1994-1997, becoming known for the catchphrase ‘Scorchio’ delivered by her foreign weather girl character. Comedian…
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Southwest Airlines president & CEO, Herbert D. Kelleher was dubbed by Fortune Magazine as the ‘High Priest of Ha Ha’. His beliefs and attitude has spread right through the company; showing how Office Comedy can enhance staff-management relations, customer service and profits. Office Comedy Case Study This highly effective airline operates from Dallas, in an…
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US company Ben & Jerry ice cream manufacturer, have pushed fun in the office to extremes. With employees looking forward to Barry Manilow or Elvis days; on which everyone is encouraged to dress as Barry or Elvis and their music is blasted through the building. There are chocolate days giving them the chance to dip…
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Ackroyd & Thompson believed the struggle for identity, is often played out through misbehaviour and joking in the work place. They identified three types of humour in work, labelling them as Clowning, Teasing and Satire in the Office. [slideshow_deploy id=’2057′] Clowning in an Office Clowning is a form of humour in which people make fools…
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We have seen how satire from our favourite comedians, in a newspaper or topical TV & radio shows such as: ‘That was the week that was’, ‘Spitting Image’, ‘Now Show’ and ‘Weekending’; has a way of making us laugh, because we see an element of truth in the joke. The same happens in workplace comedy, where…
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The most wasted of all days is the one which you did not laugh. In many offices, pinned on noticeboards or over people’s desks, you can often read… ‘You don’t have to be mad to work here, but it helps’. It became a rather irritating cliché, put on display in several work environments, by the…
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Parody is a well tried and tested form of humour used in many comedy sketch shows, films and indeed advertising. It is an artistic form within its self, sometimes called a spoof and has elements similar to pastiche. Parody in Advertising Parody is ‘A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an…
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The only time I played truant as a teenager from school, sneaking back into the house, switching on the TV, was to watch Graham Gooch bat in his first Test Match against Australia at Edgbaston in 1975. No one noticed my brief absence as I was back at school quicker than a Jeff Thompson delivery.…
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Muhammad Ali is the only person in my adulthood, who I queued, three hours in the rain, outside a London bookshop, to briefly meet to get his signature on his latest autobiography. Such was his immense respect, impact and likeability to millions. By then he was suffering from Parkinson’s, his hand with pen was gently…
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Carla Lane, the award-winning writer of television comedy dramas including the ‘Liver Birds’ (co-creator, 1969–78), ‘Butterflies’ (1978–82) and ‘Bread’ (1986–91), has died at the age of 87. Chris Sussman Head of BBC Comedy Production said of her ‘ A different voice in comedy, like all the best writers. Much loved by so many.’ She was…
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