A possible member of Hemel Hempstead Movie Makers

There follows one of my blogs which I contributed to The Hemel Hempstead Movie Makers website http://www.hemelmoviemakers.org

A possible member worth a mention

Is the following true or false? It is true.

It is quite surprising what talents members of the past, present and future had/have or hopefully will have. Especially this one. He was born on November 20th 1917 at Hoylam Common, near Barnsley. As a child he had a magic lantern and charged other children to see shows in the shed. When leaving school, he worked down the Silkstone Mine. He had a go at ventriloquism and won an amateur concert at the Alhambra Theatre, Barnsley. He turned professional in 1933.

In World War II, he joined the RAF. He resumed entertaining after he was demobbed. In 1952, he toured with Laurel and Hardy, who, in turn, persuaded him to try his act without his dummies. In 1958, he was spotted by John Ammonds resulting in his first television show. During the 1960s in particular, he starred in sitcoms and became a household name. He even appeared in a Royal Variety Show late in his career. He continued to work right up to a few months prior to his sad death in 1989.

During his life, he became a member of the Berkhamsted Cricket Club. Not only was he interested in this sport, but he was also interested in films. Consequently, during the 1960s, he became at least a prospective member of this club. He did visit us during our Gadebridge Hall era. Reference to this is in a contemporary club magazine/year book. How far his membership went, or if he remained a possible member, I am not sure. Nor do I know how many club meetings he attended. But he did visit us.

So, who is this person? He was born Harry Bourles Illingsworth. But he was better known by people as Harry Worth.

Sources of information: club records, verbal conversation and the official Harry Worth website harryworth.moonfruit.com.

Useless Information: I once filmed him on standard eight silent Kodachrome II, opening  a shop here in Hemel Hempstead. Not a lot of people know that.