Born on this date in 1900 was the British comedian Arthur Askey. Here are ten facts about him:
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For those who’ve never heard of him, Arthur Askey was a British comedian and actor who appeared on TV from its earliest days. He was known for catchphrases like "I thank you" (pronounced "Ay-thang-yaw") and "Before your very Eyes".
He was born in Dingle, Liverpool. He was a choirboy and sang in the Liverpool Cathedral choir.
During the first world war he served in the Royal Welch Fusiliers and performed in army entertainments.
His first professional appearance on stage was at the Headgate Theatre, Colchester on 31 March 1924.
In the 1930s, he became well known on radio, in the BBC's first radio comedy series Band Waggon and went on to make several films including Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt, King Arthur Was a Gentleman and Bees in Paradise.
He was only 5' 2", 1.58 m tall, and wore distinctive horn-rimmed glasses.
He was one of the first people to appear on television, back in the 1930s when the resolution was so low that he had to wear heavy make up so viewers could recognise him.
He made records, too, possibly the most famous being The Bee Song. One of his records was banned in 1941 by the War Office. It was called It's Really Nice to See You Mr Hess, and recorded after Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess fled to Scotland.
Other TV appearances included being a regular on the music hall show The Good Old Days and as a panellist on talent show New Faces, where his comments were usually nicer than those of fellow judges Tony Hatch and Mickie Most. In the late 1940s, Askey participated in a BBC radio show called How Do You Do? in which listeners could write into the BBC and ask him to come and broadcast a show from their homes.
He was the subject of This Is Your Life twice, and Desert Island Discs four times, meaning he ties with David Attenborough for being the guest on that show the most times.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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