User:Peachymead

PHILIP (PEACHY) MEAD. BORN AUG.5TH 1938. IN NORWICH, NORFOLK.

Peachy Mead was born at 35a Avenue Road, Norwich; at the same house his ninety six year old mother still lived till her death in 2007. He arrived during a practise air raid and weight in at 12 pounds very large baby in deed and maybe the reason he is a larger than life person now. To keep him quite they fed him on a weak porridge solution, as he seemed a rather hungry baby Philip (Peachy) Mead the entertainer was born in 1960, after a spell in the army doing national service. Throughout his long career in show business wearing various hats he has been the ambassador for East Anglia, (Norfolk in particular.) Rather like his titles he uses to day East Anglia’s best-known entertainer the King, or just as the King as he is locally known Philip has done more for East Anglia than any other single person, and over the years has worked every holiday village, from the Pontins, Butlins, Warners, to the small five hundred holiday makers sites.. He has played in every theatre in the area, every club, village hall, hotel, and really in East Anglia is a legend. Because of all the summer seasons on holiday parks where he has worked with many of today’s stars before their fame, which in many case’s they owe some think to Peachys influences and guidance’s. This has meant that millions of visitors from all over the country know of the East Anglian legend. Philip although he did occasional tour and work in other areas, was an attraction that holiday makers over the years got to expect on the coast and mainly in the Great Yarmouth area. He didn’t go to the people the people came to him. But he is not just an entertainer he has helped hundreds of up and coming East Anglian acts, through his talent shows, and for the past twenty five years as the Secretary of the East Anglian variety Branch, which he helped Equity form some twenty five years ago demanding a branch for his beloved area, which soon boosted every local entertainer worth their salt on his register, and even today the branch with Peachy at the helm is hailed as one of the unions flagships. Plus he is a well loved member and chairman of the equity South East area committee again fighting for his members in the south east, and not giving an inch in the fight for the best conditions and pay for his loyal supporters. He also attends all equity Variety advisory council meetings on be half of his area and Secretary’s meetings to put across the needs of his beloved area, never has any one had the relentless task of making sure his fellow entertainers are represented in every way than Philip (peachy) mead. He also raises with the help of his committee much for the Benevolent fund for entertainers hit by hard times, and of course always appears on the scene for such things as Children in Need, and red nose appeals. In 1964 he felt that East Anglia was not being represented in the press correctly and when it was, its image was of back woods, where not real entertainer ever admitted coming from, So He contacted a number of papers including the Stage and T.V. Today and asked why the featured every area in the weekly paper except his own area, to which they replied that no body had ever sent in material from Norfolk, and they would be pleased to feature a weekly column, and larger articles of interest. So with out the slightest knowledge of being a journalist and a second hand type writer a column called Norfolk Natter was born and ran some fifteen years till the Stage dropped the regional columns. This did not stop Peachy who continued with local feature articles up and till a few years ago. Over the years the columns featured all the acts ever to come from or work in the area, and the summer features were painstakingly put together by visiting or contacting some thing like a hundreds camp sites and venues in the area. But if I mean East Anglia was up there in the news, nothing stopped Peachy Mead. Another string to the bow was the fact that visitors to the local theatres often and still do stay with the King as he puts two rooms aside for visitors Both local radio, t.v. and the press ring or call and see the man who knows more about entertainment in East Anglia than any other living person, having devoted his life to this small pool where he has become a big fish. Over the years any information needed for programmes they contact Peachy first, and he appears in countless news paper articles highlighting past performances or what he is up to today. For example last week a local cinema was thirty years old and they had guest Jack Douglas the actor/comedian, as a special guest, but of course sent for Peachy to talk about the venue and introduced jack, who of course over the years Peachy had worked with, so when he got on stage it was a fun double act, much to the patrons and managements delight. The local evening news reporter Derek James has also a massive file on Peachy Mead and can fill in many details. Peachy meads first professional engagement was at Butlins Clacton in 1961 as a Redcoat (In a comedy Double act, with Me the writer if these notes-Tony Dennes.) They said we were the worst double act they had ever seen by thought we may improve with a season under our belts; we didn’t and parted a year later. But while in the first season learned enough to keep us going in the business ever since. Among the others up and coming in that season were Colin Crompton, Dave Butler (The Bristol comedian who found fame with the Comedians.) and Alan McBride. We also meet many of the stars of the day with pictures, including Arthur Haynes,Gladys Morgan,Chesney Allan,Arthur English, Reg Dixon,Dennis Spicer, and band leeder Joe Dannials, to name but a few. Peachy remained with Butlins for three years and was a most popular one, during this time he was called Peach, as his real name Philip Was used by another and as a comic they wanted a comedy name, so he hooked on to a name he had been called at school by a teacher once, and for some time after was called a peach by the other kids, for no real reason. In the third season the Y was added and he became Peachy forever more and the name he registered with Equity on joining the union. In 1964 he started on his stay in the great Yarmouth/Lowestoft area, which was to last till 1999.Appearing at some time or other at each Of the regions many holiday parks mainly as a Stand up Comedian and cabaret act, for example some seasons would see him working early afternoons at the Sparrows nest, Lowestoft open-air theatre, then on to the sea front at Yarmouth to run a version of the B.B.C.s “It’s a knock out”. And at 8-30 it was off to PONTINS for a cabaret spot then on to Caister camp for a late night show. It certainly was all go for the areas best-known entertainer. This was the pace for a number of summer’s seasons, till a slight change of Direction after an unsuccessful appearance on ‘Opportunity Knocks’. Peachy then settled down as a resident compere at various parks, inventing hilarious audience participation games and updating old ideas. Who also doubled up with some late night cabaret spots. This type of worked carried on till the mid 80’s, when another slight change saw the King take up residencies as Entertainment manager/Entertainer working with a team of coats. This also added new dimensions to his bow first he had to do Morning children’s shows, which he was most at home and the kids loved him and his team. He also had to become a D.J. some thing he had attempted years back during winter months, which came in handy with his new reinvented life. The seasons flew by till 1998 when after a most successful season the Park he was working, sold out in the winter for housing, with the only option to start again at another holiday park building up a new team and attracting a whole new audience, which he had built up a massive following over the season as resident for the nine years. This he felt was really not on and his days as resident entertainer seem over, so another re-launch was needed and the last two seasons Peachy meads pop and party circus was born, a mobile disco unit either playing sixties music or a mixture of ancient and modern. Plus his Uncle Peachy’s children’s show he is building up a whole new audience, and of course every now and then a former booker, venue, or Theatre recalls the comedy king and he is back up there entertaining in the style that has made him a household name in East Anglia’ While that takes care of all the summers the winters were just as interesting and varied and included Much T.V., radio, and Theatre work, and a long run with the Peachy mead Music hall, including a long session working for Mecca. The list of acts is massive who appeared on these bills, the likes of Tommy Trinder, Jimmy Wheeler, the singing Postman, Ruby Murray, Joe(Mr Piano) Henderson, Arthur Askey, Jimmy Cricket to name but a few. Peachy Mead appeared in these shows as the fastest drinking chairman in the world, and this alone has a million hilarious stories attached. As a variety act also peachy did the club circuit and hotels as a comedian compere again working with the top names many of who became great friends, including Bob Monkhouse, Nearly all the comedians (from the T.V. Show) Danny LaRue, Russ Conway, Dick Emery, Paul Daniels, Bruce Forsyth, Jimmy Cricket, Brother Lee’s Shane Richie, Joe Pascal, and many more. He worked stints on the Stag circuit, with legends like Chubby Oats and at the time had East Enders Mile Reid appearing, also he worked  Hen circuit not as a stripper but as the compere/comedian. Peachy also toured all the major Theatres in the country for a couple of winter tours with the ‘Forever ELVIS’ show which did also have a short run in London’s west end. He played the Cornel, and the show included top Elvis impersonators Big Jim White, Liberty Mountain, Kenny Gee, Johnny Dumper, Layton Summers, and many more. The show also included Annette Day the only British actress ever to appear in a Presley film, and rock legend Charlie Hodge (Ever present Guitarist with Elvis through out his career.) and still a good friend today. Philip also did nine seasons of morning children’s shows with a large Blue Bear called the Bluey Bear show. He at one time had his own spot on radio Norfolk, interviewing all the local start entertainers, and appears regular these days. On the T.V. front peachy did twenty-one episodes of ‘Hi-Di-Hi’ for the B.B.C. mainly as a supporting artist or as a gardener in about six of the episodes, making personal friends of the stars of the show, such as Paul Shane, Geoffrey Holland, Sue Pollard, and Ruth Madoc. He appeared again mainly as supporting artist in nearly thirty “Tales of the Unexpected”, working with the likes of John Mills, Derek Jacobi, Joan Collins, Sir John Gielgud Bernard Cribbins, Michael Gambon, and many many more. Plus stints on the Miss Marple series with Joan Hickson who he became very friendly with and all the P.D.James, thrillers starring Roy Marsden of who is now a good friend. The list of T.V., supporting work in endless, some of course a fleeting glance but many small parts. In his Equity role he also meets all the top names in the world of Show Business, at meetings and the yearly conference, which are held in all parts of the country, Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, and Blackpool to name four. While listed many things Peachy Mead has done I am sure your researchers could find much more, the one thing he should be honoured for is the fact that he has always been proud loyal and devoted to East Anglia, and the fact he has  become as a recent local news paper article wrote We pay tribute to a great Norfolk character Peachy mead who is the County’s life and soul, is part of the local people power This man is probably known by more people than the top stars and celebrities, because he is still so active and that includes his recent head line grabbing ‘Sacked Santa’ which hit the media headlines not only Britain but abroad, with great press coverage, T.V. radio and the whole shooting match. That’s another whole page and so is the fact he was given a civic reception at city hall Norwich in November 2008, and appeared with the Lord Mayor on the balcony at the great city all in the centre of the city. The legend that is Peachy Meads rolls on.