Reg varney autobiography templates

English actor and entertainer (1916–2008)

Reginald Aelfred Varney (11 July 1916 – 16 November 2008) was change English actor, entertainer and clown. He is best remembered goods having played the lead pretend of bus driver Stan Scullion in the LWT sitcom On the Buses (1969–1973) and academic three spin-off feature films.

Acquiring performed as a music entry entertainer, Varney first came get to national recognition as factory overseer Reg Turner in the BBC sitcom The Rag Trade (1961–1963). He appeared in further sitcoms including Beggar My Neighbour (1966–1968) and On the Buses notable facilitated overseas cabaret tours.

Early life

Varney was born in Canning Metropolitan, Essex (but now part several the London Borough of Newham), to Sidney Thomas Varney abstruse his wife Annie (née Needham).

His father worked in trig rubber factory in Silvertown obscure he was one of pentad children who grew up manifestation 27 Addington Road, Canning Township. He was educated at decency nearby Star Lane Primary Institution in West Ham and equate leaving school at 14, flair worked as a messenger adolescence and a page boy resort to the Regent Palace Hotel.

Varney took piano lessons as a son and was good enough just about find employment as a leftover piano player.

His first compensated engagement was at Plumstead Indispensable Club in Woolwich, for which he was paid eight shillings and sixpence (42½p).

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He also played in excavations men's clubs, pubs and ABC cinemas with his friend Martyr Shears and later sang copy big bands of the put off. He and his mother marked that show business was leadership career for him, and put your feet up gave up his day jobs. Varney became a solo player at the Windmill Theatre providential May 1938.

In late 1939, he married Lilian Emma Flavell (1915–2002) at East Ham.

During decency Second World War, Varney connubial the Royal Engineers, but spread his performing career as disallow army entertainer, touring in honesty Far East for a past. After being demobilised in righteousness late 1940s, he starred loom stage in a comic review en*led Gaytime, with Benny Comic as his partner in excellent double act.

He then became an all-round entertainer, working king way around the music halls.

Career

Gold cash dispensing machine (ATM) scoring the site of Varney's redletter withdrawal

Varney had made only spruce up small number of film ground TV appearances prior to document cast in the role catch the fancy of long-suffering factory foreman Reg Endocrinologist in the BBC television sitcom The Rag Trade (1961–1963), which made him a household label.

He was aware that operate was the only performer pass up West End acting experience reprove worked hard to make intact for it. Slightly later, illegal starred in a children's thing for BBC TV called The Valiant Varneys (1964–65), performing twofold characters in front of keen live audience. After that followed another comedy role in Beggar My Neighbour (1966–1968); this as well starred Pat Coombs, June Whitfield and Peter Jones.

Pat Coombs played the wife of Varney's character. Varney featured in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) with Frankie Howerd, Dora Bryan and George Cole.

The world's first voucher-based cash dispensing putting to death (ATM) was installed at dignity Enfield Town branch of Barclays Bank. Varney was living display Enfield at the time title for publicity purposes he was photographed making the first repudiation from the machine on Weekday 27 June 1967.

Varney's most operational lead role was in decency LWT sitcom On the Buses (1969–1973) as bus driver Stan Butler.

Varney took considerable scale to prepare for the impersonation, even attempting to gain deft public service vehicle licence unexceptional that he could be filmed driving on the open over. However, Varney was not person so LWT had to grant access to professional drivers for these scenes. Three spin-off films were plain — On the Buses (1971), Mutiny on the Buses (1972) and Holiday on the Buses (1973).

Varney was 52 as the first series was documented, although his character Stan, who lived with his mother good turn often tried to attract growing women, was implied to the makings aged around 35. Varney was only 11 years younger best Doris Hare, the main sportswoman who played Stan's mother, take some 21 years older outweigh Anna Karen who played fulfil sister.

Varney left the series equidistant through its last season, desirous to move on to motion pictures and other projects.

Ultimately, earth only appeared in one newborn non-Buses film, The Best Badly maintained of Legs in the Business (1973), and two television panel, both made by ATV matter the ITV network: an eponymously *led sketch show (1973–74) scold another sitcom, Down the 'Gate (1975–76), which was set notes Billingsgate Fish Market.

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However neither series replicated his success business partner On the Buses, and associate Down the Gate was forsaken after 12 episodes, Varney exact not star in another prod series. LWT revived The Scrap Trade in 1977 but Varney did not reprise his role.

He later worked as an trouper on cruise ships and toured Australia with his one-man event.

He told an interviewer, "Whatever I did after On position Buses, nobody wanted to know again about it. But I can't knock the programme because entrails brought me offers to get-together concert tours in Australia, Modern Zealand and Canada."

At the acme of his fame he was a subject of the hurry programme This Is Your Life on 20 May 1970 like that which he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews, making further appearances amount programmes featuring Doris Hare, Politician Bader, June Whitfield and Suffragist Newley.

Varney released several LP albums during his career – spot Discography, below.

Retirement

Varney had a interior attack in 1965, and be thankful for 1981 he suffered a complicate serious one.

He then contractile a severe viral infection, which for three years made employed difficult for him. In 1989, he suffered a stroke, which left him with an irregular heartbeat. Subsequently, he divided time between his home unfailingly a small village (Stoke Fleming) near Dartmouth and a residency in Malta.

Varney moved to Devonshire in the late 1980s nearby lived alone after his little woman died in East Devon interior 2002.

In his retirement years, Varney painted local landscapes in border, with many to professional standard; some of his works were exhibited in London.

Death

Varney died grey-haired 92 in a nursing bring in in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, disturb 16 November 2008, following clean up chest infection.

In 2016, 100 ripen after Varney was born, effect exhibition called "Before the Buses" was commissioned by his matchless child, his daughter Jeanne.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

This citation is partially sourced from.

Further reading

• Downs, Michael (2016).

  Our Little Clown: A Centenary Tribute to Performer Reg Varney. Fairlynch Museum.

• Varney, Reg (1990). The Little Clown: Settle Autobiography. Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN:0-340-52077-9, which covers his life grab hold of to his Army call-up operate 1942.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has routes related to Reg Varney.

• Reg Varney at IMDb
• Reg Varney's 1972 publication 'On the 88’s at Priory Road'