What’s it like being Tarby? Magic
COMEDIAN JIMMY TARBUCK TALKS TO NAOMI CLARKE ABOUT 60 YEARS IN SHOWBUSINESS
JUDY Garland, Sir Tom Jones, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Hollywood actor George Raft – not a bad line-up to have rubbed shoulders with during your career.
Jimmy Tarbuck has worked with many music titans and performers during a career spanning six decades.
Born in Liverpool on February 6, 1940, James Joseph Tarbuck started mixing with greats at a young age as he was a schoolmate of the late Beatle John Lennon.
Jimmy became one of the biggest household names when he rose to fame in the 1960s and was known for his broad Liverpudlian accent, gap-toothed grin and quick wit.
He secured his first comedy show, It’s Tarbuck, in 1964 and he later hosted hit variety shows such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium and Live from Her Majesty’s.
“I love it, I love every minute of it,” says 84-year-old Jimmy as he reflects on his passion for performing. “People once said to me ‘What’s it like being Jimmy Tarbuck?’. I said ‘Magic’. I just love it. And people have been nice to me, I can honestly say, all over the world.
“And the people I’ve worked with – Tom Jones, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin – they just keep going, all these great performers.”
The entertainer will be looking back on his life in an upcoming series of shows, titled An Evening with Jimmy Tarbuck.
He plans to take the audience down Memory Lane as he pulls on his vast repertoire of tales and celebrity anecdotes from across his many years in the industry, including meeting the likes of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
The audience will also have the chance to ask him their own burning questions, and it appears he has no qualms in giving his honest opinion about people within the business.
“The best young comic? Peter Kay, by a mile,” he says. “The best quizmaster? That would have to be Bob Monkhouse, he was better than all of them put together. He knew everything about the people who were on with him.
“The most talented person I worked with in England? Roy Castle, followed closely by Bruce (Forsyth).”
Over the years Jimmy has duetted with many greats, such as Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Tom Jones and released a number of covers including renditions of Magic Moments and Memories Are Made of This with producer and musician Kevin Lynch.
Affectionately known as Tarby, he says he is still a fan of rock and roll and will “get up with anybody and sing if it’s a good rock song”, a particular favourite of his being Johnny B Goode.
“I just love all that, but I wouldn’t compete with them,” he says of some of his contemporaries. “I mean Tom Jones, we’re the same age, but he’s singing like a 22-yearold.
“The Lord’s been lucky to him and I mean that with respect because his voice is still there wonderfully and there are some singers who
still singing and maybe they shouldn’t be. Their voices (have) just wandered a bit.”
Aside from singing alongside many musical stars, his career highlights include performing at the Sydney Opera House, being introduced in America by the late comedian Bob Hope and, above all, his time at his beloved London Palladium, which he hails as “the biggest star in my life”.
The 100th Royal Variety Performance also stands out in his memory because he got to share the stage with his friends and fellow entertainers Des O’connor, Bruce Forsyth and Ronnie Corbett, who have all died in the last decade.
“It’s the one and only time the four of us had all been on that stage
together and it was wonderful,” he says. “We were walking down for the finale and I just said ‘Hey, lads’ and Bruce was like ‘What now?’ and I said ‘Let’s walk down slowly because this is never going to happen again’ and unfortunately it can’t.
“But it was a glorious night when these four pals, four performers, and if I say so in modesty, four favourites with the people, and they gave us an ovation and it was delightful.”
He is looking forward to the tour and says with a smile: “I am just thrilled still to be going and that people seem to want to see me and I will be eternally grateful for that – I promise you.”
What has been the secret to poware
ering him through so many decades in the limelight?
“When I was so young and drugs were flying around everywhere and people asked me ‘Have you used drugs?’. Only one and it’s called laughter and that is my (drug), it really is,” he reveals.
“The laughter makes me want to do more and more and enjoy it and I’m in love with that, the laughter, seeing people laugh, getting in a good mood.
“And I’m still doing it after 60 years and playing, as they would say in football, in the Premier League. So I’m very proud of that, very proud.”
THE housing market has had a tough time in recent months, with some would-be buyers waiting to see what the future holds.
But if your property search is proving tricky, it could be worth bearing in mind that your ‘forever home’ might be sitting right under your nose – perhaps on your daily walk or commute. It may just need a little bit of tender loving care to give it a new lease of life.
More than half (52%) of people pass by an abandoned building every week, according to research by Censuswide for property lender Together.
For some people, the idea of buying a property that isn’t turnkey ready may seem daunting. But it could be a chance to put your own stamp on a property.
TV presenter Lucy Alex- ander, known for shows including BBC1’S Homes Under The Hammer and Channel 4’s A Place In the Sun, has teamed up with Together to offer some tips for unearthing a hidden gem.
The campaign aims to highlight the scope and scale of the UK’S abandoned and derelict buildings, and the opportunities out there for restoration and redevelopment.
DO SOME SLEUTHING
If the property you’re interested in looks to have been abandoned, Lucy says: “Firstly, it’s important to work out who the owner of the property is.”
Local word-of-mouth can be key to this process.
“I would be chatting to all the neighbours, checking the deeds of the property, subscribing to auctioneers’ and estate agents’ details as well,” she says. “You can always pop next door to the abandoned building and maybe ask a neighbour, a shop owner in the road... Everybody knows everything on the street.
“Once an owner is identified, the next step is to contact them to make a formal offer,” Lucy adds.
She says checking energy use is also key. She suggests: “Find out is it [the property] on mains gas, is it oilfired? The energy usage would be part of your main homework.
“Confirming how much energy and running costs of an existing building are before you purchase is critical. Set ample time aside to contact the supplier and check you are on the best energy tariff for the property.”
RESEARCH IS CRUCIAL
Some buyers may encounter difficulties with their plans to make changes if the property turns out to be listed, so this is worth checking out thoroughly upfront.
And if you’re going down the auction route, Lucy says it’s crucial to have done your research.
“Know what you’re bidding on, be very thorough, chat to the auction house beforehand,” she says. “Maybe take somebody with you, and read the legal pack before bidding at auction.”
It could also be worth thinking outside the box.
Lucy says former pubs, for example, can make “absolutely fantastic homes because they sit on really nice plots, they’re generally quite large, you can park.
BE CLEAR ON YOUR BUDGET
It’s also crucial to make sure you can actually afford to buy the property. Bridging loans can be a shortterm solution to finding the cash for a property where money is needed quickly, to help make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities.
They can help borrowers to bridge the gap while they wait for finance coming from elsewhere. The pros and cons should be weighed up carefully however, as there are risks involved, particularly if plans don’t go as expected.
People may want to speak to a broker to weigh up the different loan options.
KNOW RENOVATION COSTS
Another significant expense will be the budget for renovations, which may be extensive if a property has been unoccupied for some time. Make sure your budget really does cover all of the work. Compare quotes and if you can’t afford to do everything at once, decide what should take priority.
Lucy cautions: “Renovating an abandoned or derelict property can quickly run up high costs, unless you have a strict finance plan early on. Depending on the structure of the site and scope of work needed, it can also be far more complex than doing the same for newer buildings.”
She also recommends engaging with your local authority. When contacting them, she suggests having a list of questions already prepared, joking: “It’s like when you go and see a doctor.”
Lucy adds: “After purchasing an abandoned or derelict property, it is important to think about planning permission.”
Actively engaging with planners is crucial, she says, in order to ensure that permission goes smoothly. “This is especially true with larger scale refurbishments that may involve a change-of-use,” she adds.
Ultimately, suggests Lucy: “If you’ve decided you want to purchase a hidden gem, go for it.
“You can turn an ugly duckling into a swan.”
Renovating an abandoned or derelict property can quickly run up high costs
Lucy Alexander