User:Dame Lady Lola

Dame lady Lola DBE BSE QC, called to the bar in 1982 - for a schooner of sherrie...Dame Lady Lola, born 31st December 1937, is an internationally-recognised actress, singer and hostess. She found fame in the mid 1990s as the capricious door whore of Paradise Factory, Manchester. Manchester Evening News called her 'one of the most eccentric and popular characters to grace Canal Street in the 20th Century'. Little is known of Lola's early life. Folklore tells of her arrival on platform six at Manchester Piccadilly Station; no-one knew from where she'd come, and only Lola knew where she was going. However what IS known is that Lola went on to become part of the Paradise Factory formidable trio which included Pattsy Towers and Sister Marta - who together breathed glamour, elegance and sophistication to one of Manchester's biggest night spots. Lola soon became one of Manchester gay scene's most famous (and infamous) faces. Her envied inner circle included many big names - kavannah, Adam Rickett, The Divine David, Antony Crank, Howard Donald and Jocelyn Brown.During the decade she racked up numerous TV and radio appearances, released two singles and was Main Staged at many a Mardi Gras. It's thought that during this time a sting of wise investments saw her amass a fortune of many millions. And her bizarre engagement to eccentric playboy Tony Dean led to them being known as Princess Street's answer to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.Renowned for her garish outfits, loud mouth and alcohol abuse Lola recorded 'Free, Gay and Happy' with the Paradise People. After many successful years at the top Lola said that far from suffering from insanity she enjoyed every minute of it. But behind the scenes her battle with the booze and more frequent meltdowns led many of those closest to her to question whether her career could sustain. On one occasion she was photographed snorting coke, and the crowd laughed when the ice cubes got stuck in her nose.She famously told a dwindling middle floor audience: "I'm out of my mind, I'll be back in five minutes." Little did she know, she would never return, bundled out of the back door with her last pay packet and no way of saying goodbye - the lasting effects of which were devastating. After five years convalescing in Hollywood, and numerous visits to Cedars Sinai, Lola's star was once again on the rise - and her UK return imminent.And what a return!In 2001 Lady Lola was the principle artist at the Duke of Edinburgh's 80th birthday celebrations, following which she was given the ultimate honour by Her Majesty the Queen: the title of Dame Lady Lola of Canal Street.In 2002 Dame Lady Lola emigrated to Afghanistan where she worked tirelessly for the British Red Cross. It's here that she became something of a sexless recluse and many feared that she had lost her life.Following an absence of ten years Lola re-emerged, making a rare appearance and singing her self-penned single 'GAY Flying High In TheSky' at the 80th birthday party of her long-term lover and former confidante Mikhail Gorbachev. Her later life was dogged with rumours of her death. However on 17th April 2013 body language experts working for London's Metropolitan Police Force confirmed that she had attended Baroness Thatcher's funeral, in disguise. Since then the Prudential, Aviva and Lloyds of London have issued multimillion pound writs to reclaim illegally obtained monies paid out after her death had been registered.Last year headlines around the world told of the diva's faked death, which many thought had occurred at Sister Marta's 40th birthday party.Lola currently resides in the Actors' Hospice in North London and speculation suggests that she is thrilled to be asked back to the club that she made, and that made her - that club being Paradise.

Follow Lola on twitter @dameladylola