Bobby Thompson the Little Waster
The entry below is a synopsis of our speakers talk on 15th July 2023.
A very interesting presentation this week was given by Mr. Ben Haddon.
Colin started off by giving us a brief history of Bobby's childhood, He was the seventh child of John and Mary Thompson, both of whom died by the time Bobby was eight years old. He was then raised by his elder sister in the village of Fatfield. He would supplement his income by playing the harmonica around local public houses and competing in Domino tournaments. His first stand-up performance took place at the Gem Cinema in Penshaw as a young boy
At 15 he started work at North Biddick Colliery, he was married three times. His first wife was Anna Marjoram this marrage lasted less than a year, His second wife Phyllis she died on 25 April 1967. He announced his engagement to Mary Douglass, 62, of Annfield Plain a few years later, but the engagement was called off. In 1982, Thompson married his housekeeper, Eleanor Cicely Palmer, more commonly known as Cissy Ward (née Wake). Thompson was her third husband and she was famous for being taller than him.
Famous for his broad Pitmatic (County Durham pit village) accent (often mistaken for Geordie), self-deprecating humour and mastery of the Mother in Law joke, Thompson was affectionately known as The Little Waster due to his short stature, which he often played on during his act. His most famous outfit was a worn out stripey jumper (Wooly gansey) and flat cap, Bobby was a story teller more than a Comedian
Thompson died on 16 April 1988, after suffering from emphysema and cancer
For further information Click on the link Bobby Thompson
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