Felix Dennis

The youngest of the three infamous Oz Editors, Felix Dennis was a rare creature, being born with the kind of wisdom most of us have to get through hindsight, and enjoyed, inevitably, a successful life of creativity and good living. His poem, Never go back, kindly passed on some of his wisdom. And his predilection for cigars which gave him such a fine reading voice may also have had something to do with the cancer that has killed him in his own memorable sixties.

100 years in Variety

Stage Door, The Bristol Hippodrome, 100 Years
Gerry Parker and John Hudson
Published by Redcliffe Press

Bristol Hippodrome - from the stage C G Hanley

This well-illustrated soft-cover book is a pleasure to handle. Good to give as a present to anyone with an interest in the theatre or show-biz; even to yourself. The history of the Hippodrome takes in its early years as a twice-nightly variety theatre to being the venue of choice for ballet, major theatrical tours and visiting stars including Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney and regular visitors The Hollies. It was famously Eddie Cochran’s last gig. The tale also covers the early career of Oswald Stoll, who teamed up with Mr Moss to build an Empire.
And of the nuts and bolts: “Frank Matcham was one of the great British Architects, and I have, over the years, performed in many of his theatres, The Bristol Hippodrome being my favourite. Modern architects don’t go to the theatre, which explains why the theatres they design resemble television sets. Matcham’s work was created with love. The Hippodrome was in construction at the same time as the Titanic was in Belfast. But the old Hippo, magnificently and lovingly restored by the people of Bristol, is still afloat.” Barry Humphries, February 2014