Comments on: Bud Flanagan’s Spitalfields

By: Christine Murana

Christine Murana — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 17:56:27 +0000

I have photos of Bud Flanagan in Dick Whittington and his acting with my grandmother, Grace Wheeler in France during the first world war. Unfortunately, I cannot find anything else on the internet about the group. It was staged at Deauville Casino in France. My grandmother was also working in the Red Cross and I believe Bud Flanagan may have been a Red Cross ambulance driver too. Apparently, she spoke very good French. I never knew her. I wish I did. She was a young lady at this time. All a bit of a mystery.

By: Paul Ridgway

Paul Ridgway — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 14:36:38 +0000

I remember seeing Bud Flanagan at the Victoria Palace with the Crazy Gang in about 1960.
He told a tale in a radio interview that to get away from his surname Weintrop he took his sergeant’s surname from the trenches.

By the way are you editing my submissions as I distinctly recall sending a post about the Savoy Arches earlier this week?

By: Linda. Hayes nee Bristow

Linda. Hayes nee Bristow — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 20:18:28 +0000

My parents run Jack,s cafe on those premise,s in Hanbury street from roughly early 1960 to 1970 main customers from 5am porters and salesman who work across the road in Spitalfields mkt, and they enjoyed a freshly cooked menu ready for there early lunch ,
This also included Trumans Brewery workers plus from midday onwards office workers from the fashion showrooms My parents Jack and Glenis Bristow worked extremely hard , but made freinds with there customers,

My Brother John Bristow was also a Brady Boy and was a very good swimmer

Funny thing even though we was in the premise,s no one cared or took intrest in them days about who lived there before us ,

I now am very interested in the history of around Spitalfields ,

By: Rosemary Hoffman

Rosemary Hoffman — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 11:41:17 +0000

I lived at the Kings zStores pub in the late 50 s when my dad was the licensee
It’s in widegate street and used to have a bakers shop next door on sundays the pub has lots of Visitors to the Lane {petticoat lane

By: Sonia Murray

Sonia Murray — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 21:19:16 +0000

Thanks for this! My mother thought the world of Bud, they were old pros who played together many times. She – stage name Sandra Wells – ended her career as the cat in Puss in Boots and Dick Whittington, until King Rat threw her over his shoulder and broke her collarbone at the age of 61. She finished the season, taped up. Sad that the music halls and most of the theaters are gone, and with them so many good memories of happier times.

By: Adele

Adele — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 14:35:48 +0000

Another winner GA. Vivid description of the East End my parents grew up in. My father in particular was a huge fan of Bud and would have loved reading this. Thanks.

By: paul loften

paul loften — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:37:25 +0000

I forgot. Seeing the photo with Bud in the old tatty fur coat triggered my memory! I actually saw Bud perform at the London Palladium with Chesney Allen in that fur coat. I was about 8 years old They were on the bill as support for a Judy Garland star performance. My dad bought the tickets to go with my mum. As usual at the last moment, things went wrong. His work got in the way and he could not go. My mother had a migraine attack. There was a last-minute dash to my Aunt Lilly to see if she could go and she took me along. It was a historic performance at the Palladium. Whilst singing Judy Garland’s voice just went. She could not sing at all. There was complete silence in the theatre for a minute. I think she managed to complete a song or two but with a terrible croaky voice. The whole theatre then stood up when she finished and she had a tumultuous standing ovation that lasted forever. It may have been her last live performance. I know it was something quite serious with her throat. Then I remember the performance of Underneath the Arches with Chesney Allen who came on after her and them both paying tribute to her courage in continuing the show

By: paul loften

paul loften — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 12:26:14 +0000

My dad knew Bud very well . He told me his mother had a deli shop, He didn’t say it was a fish & chip shop but this was just before and during the war years so it may have changed later on . He used to go in there with his army uniform when on leave and Bud, if there, would greet him as a local hero. The shop not far from where they lived in Raven Row. My sister recalls once going to see him at the Hackney Empire and Bud spotted them in the audience and after the show, they met him at the stage door and had a long chinwag

By: Richard Smith

Richard Smith — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 12:02:30 +0000

I particularly enjoyed today’s blog GA. Thank you. I really like “Underneath the Arches.”

By: Ian Silverton

Ian Silverton — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 10:25:05 +0000

That Tunnel again GA getting more famous as time goes on,should I spill the beans on all that went on there??? May be not then, great storey that loved reading it,loved going to see BUD at the Victoria Palace when he was in the Crazy Gang also at the world famous London Paladium many times same Gang loved them, child hood memories of the past, my friend Jimmy Perry got him to sing the background song for his new show Dads Army, went to the first studio recording of that,was not impressed but what do I know!!!