77-702: Crofton Park is a mainly residential suburb and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham . It is the original site of the former agricultural hamlet of Brockley . It is located 5.3 miles (8.5 km) south east of Charing Cross , and is south of Brockley and north of Honor Oak . Major points of interest include the Rivoli Ballroom , the Brockley Jack Theatre and the Arts and Crafts Gothic church of St Hilda. Crofton Park Ward
154-414: A satirical approach towards how authority figures are portrayed. This is notable with Hay himself, who often played an incompetent authority figure who struggled not to be found out, but whose idiocy was discovered by those around him. In 2009 a biography of Hay by Graham Rinaldi was published with a foreword by Ken Dodd . Hay never published an autobiography during his lifetime; however, when ill in
231-775: A 1933 interview with the Daily Mail he stated "If we were all astronomers, there'd be no more war." He was a friend of William Herbert Steavenson , who would go on to become the President of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1957. Just before Hay died, a few items of his equipment were donated to the British Astronomical Association. He also has an asteroid named in his honour - Asteroid 3125 Hay. In 1907 Hay married Gladys Perkins (1889–1982), whom he had known since he
308-904: A bigger reaction from audiences than he did. He had been seeking to break up their partnership in previous years, and it was only due to his film Hey! Hey! USA being somewhat unsuccessful that the writers and producers successfully talked him into bringing Moffatt and Marriott back. Hay left Gainsborough and began working with Ealing Studios in 1940, in an attempt to break up his partnership with Moffatt and Marriott. Claude Hulbert and Charles Hawtrey were Hay's sidekicks in his first film for Ealing, The Ghost of St. Michael's (1941). Both would return to act with Hay in subsequent films - Hawtrey in The Goose Steps Out (1942) and Hulbert in Hay's final film, My Learned Friend (1943). John Mills , who had appeared in Hay's first film, Those Were
385-537: A castle. In Wales, the term electoral ward is used for elections to principal councils ( county councils or county borough councils ). These were formally called electoral divisions . Communities in Wales (the equivalent to the civil parish in England) are sometimes divided into wards for elections to the community council. All of Scotland is divided into over 300 wards for local government elections. Using
462-768: A clergyman involved in horse betting in Dandy Dick , a fraudster who lies about his career as a distinguished sea captain in Windbag the Sailor , and a prison warden, Dr Benjamin Twist , in Convict 99 , who obtains his job under false pretences. He is often compared to W. C. Fields , who typically portrayed characters similar to those of Hay, being misanthropic, self-centered scoundrels who nevertheless remain sympathetic. Hay had become interested in film making while touring in
539-618: A hub of local creativity, staging plays as diverse as ' Julius Caesar ', ' Of Mice and Men ', ' She Stoops to Conquer ' and ' Lilies '. New writing is fostered by in regular workshops, part of the 'Write Now Festival'. Artistic Director Kate Bannister and Theatre Manager Karl Swinyard were awarded Best Venue Directors in the Fringe Report Awards 2011. For more details, see the Brockley Jack Theatre website. Originally built as Crofton Park Picture Palace in 1913,
616-471: A large private residence, stood on land to the west of the road which now bears its name. The property had a somewhat obscure history. There was a house on the site before 1745 and probably long before that date. It was the most associated with its final owners, the Noakes family who lived there. The Noakes were brewers and their ales were sold in many local pubs, including The Brockley Jack which they owned and
693-596: A mixed gay/straight night every month which regularly attracts between 200 and 300 people. The area has a network of rail and bus services, with connections to central London and Kent . Crofton Park Station opened in July 1892. It is served by Thameslink services to London Blackfriars (for the South Bank and Bankside ), City Thameslink (for the City and St Paul's Cathedral ), Farringdon (which will connect with
770-401: A modern building." A 2005 Radio 4 edition of Making History explored the history of Brockley Jack and found that the pub dated to at least 1810 and was close to areas notorious for robberies of travellers. However, the programme concluded that local legends about a highwayman called Brockley Jack may have been later embroidery to drum up business. Brockley Jack, now a Greene King tied pub ,
847-731: A new generation of fans. As of October 2023, the organisation has over 8000 members. The Will Hay Appreciation Society unveiled a memorial bench to Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt in October 2018, in Cliddesden , Hampshire , the filming location for 'Buggleskelly' in Oh, Mr. Porter! . The bench was unveiled by Pete Waterman . The humour of Hay's films has been described as subversive and similar to that of fellow English comedian Frank Randle . His films are often characterised as exhibiting traits of anti-authoritarianism and having
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#1732788002391924-596: A number of hills in south east London and which provide good views of Canary Wharf and the City of London . Before the area was built in the late 19th century, the principal buildings were Brockley Farm, Brockley Hall, and the Brockley Jack public house. The area expanded rapidly in the 1890s with the opening of a new railway line (informally known as the Catford Loop) and railway station which opened in 1892. It
1001-477: A number of his films. Moffatt played Albert, the overweight, insolent schoolboy reminiscent of Billy Bunter, while Marriott was the toothless old Harbottle. The trio appeared in six films together between 1936 and 1940, Windbag the Sailor , Oh, Mr. Porter! , Convict 99 , Old Bones of the River , Ask a Policeman and Where's That Fire? . Hay's 1937 film alongside Moffatt and Marriott, Oh, Mr. Porter!
1078-526: A plaque in St Hilda's Church. The Brockley Jack was formerly a picturesque timber-framed building and one of the earliest landmarks in Crofton Park. It was described by The London Encyclopaedia as: "a curious, rambling hostelry, reputedly the haunt of highwaymen ". For much of the 18th century it was known as 'The Crooked Billet', for much of the 19th century 'The Castle'. The old Brockley Jack
1155-492: A schoolmistress, but he transferred the character to a headmaster. The acts in which Hay performed the schoolmaster sketch became known as "The Fourth Form at St. Michael's". Hay toured with the act and appeared in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa (where he added Afrikaans to his languages). His wife, Gladys, often played a schoolboy or the character Harbottle in his sketches. The Harbottle character
1232-479: A short information film, Go to Blazes alongside Thora Hird and Muriel George . The film was set during the Blitz and his role was a dim-witted father who tried unsuccessfully to defuse a bomb which had landed near his house, the bomb is only defused through the help of his daughter, portrayed by Hird. Also in 1942, he made an appearance in the propaganda film , The Big Blockade among other prolific actors of
1309-552: A toothless old man. Hay's 1937 film, with Moffatt and Marriott, Oh, Mr. Porter! was credited by The Times as being "a comic masterpiece of the British cinema", while the writer Jimmy Perry cited the film as an influence on key character development for Dad's Army . Hay often portrayed incompetent authority figures who attempt to conceal their incompetence but whose true traits are gradually exposed. As well as being incompetent, his characters are often immoral; for example,
1386-400: A very old inn, several hundred years old, The Brockley Jack, a reputed haunt and 'pull up' for highwaymen including the famous Dick Turpin . I remember the place quite well – small rooms with the ceiling so low that even a man of ordinary height couldn't stand upright. Alas, the romance didn't long survive on arrival within the district for the place was condemned and pulled down to make way for
1463-410: Is also cited in the account which continues: "There was a particular staircase so constructed that it could be removed at night, and thus cut off access to the upper storey, in case of criminals being secreted there." The film star comedian Will Hay recalled the old Brockley Jack in his unfinished autobiography, I Enjoyed Every Minute : "Almost at the corner of the street was romance in the shape of
1540-417: Is because we are relieved. Because we are released from a sense of fear. Wherever we may happen to be – in the cinema, theatre, or music-hall – we tend to identify with the actors we are watching. So that when a custard pie is thrown we fear for a moment that it has been thrown at us. And then, immediately we realise that it hasn't hit us, we experience a feeling of relief, and we laugh". From 1934 to 1943, he
1617-512: Is bordered by Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries to the north, and Garthorne Road Nature Reserve in the west with the London to Brighton railway running along the western boundary of the ward and a section of Ladywell Fields to the south east. The area also offers easy access to South East London Green Chain of walks. Nearby, between Honor Oak and Catford , is Blythe Hill Fields , one of
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#17327880023911694-1030: Is divided into wards, which are ancient and very long-standing sub-divisions of the city. The Council of the Isles of Scilly is also a sui generis unitary authority, and has five wards, each returning either 1 or (in the case of St Mary's ) 12 councillors to the Council of the Isles of Scilly. Civil parishes in England are sometimes divided into wards for elections to the parish council (or town / city council ). They need not bear any relation to wards or electoral divisions at district level, but often do. The four most northerly ancient counties of England – Cumberland , Westmorland , County Durham and Northumberland – were historically divided into administrative units called wards instead of hundreds or wapentakes , as in other counties. Wards were areas originally organised for military purposes, each centred on
1771-444: Is dominated by a broad Dutch gable and an octagonal tower with a domed roof. The building sustained damage when the neighbouring Crofton Park Station was bombed in 1940 and 1945, losing two glass dome skylights and the leaded glass in the ground floor windows. The library was refurbished in 1959–60. The library building has been given local listing by Lewisham Borough Council, which describes it as making "a handsome contribution towards
1848-554: Is often cited as the supreme British-produced film-comedy, and in 1938 he was the third highest-grossing star in the UK. Many comedians have acknowledged him as a major influence. Hay was also a keen amateur astronomer. Hay was born at 23 Durham Street in Stockton-on-Tees , County Durham . He was one of two sons and three daughters of William Robert Hay (1859–1920) and his wife, Elizabeth (1859–1910) (née Ebden). When Will Hay Jr.
1925-431: Is often considered to be one of the greatest British comedy films of all-time. The British Film Institute included the film in its 360 Classic Feature Films list; Variety magazine described the movie as "amusing, if over-long", noting that there was "no love interest to mar the comedy"; and the cult website TV Cream listed it at number 41 in its list of cinema's Top 100 Films. The director Marcel Varnel considered
2002-629: The Crossrail network) and St Pancras International (for Channel Tunnel services). In the southbound direction the service links to Catford , Bromley and Sevenoaks . Disabled access entrances to Crofton Park station were opened from Marnock and Lindal Road in 2008. The station ticket office is open every weekday morning, and an automatic Metro ticket machine is also available. The South London Rail Utilisation Strategy published by Network Rail in March 2008 proposed improvements to rail services along
2079-473: The Isle of Wight and Shropshire Councils ) instead use the term electoral division . In non-metropolitan county areas with both wards (used for district council elections) and electoral divisions (used for county council elections), the boundaries of the two types of divisions may sometimes not coincide, but more often the county electoral divisions will be made up of one or more complete wards. In urban areas,
2156-564: The Local Government (Boundaries) (NI) Order 1972 (No. 131) and DEAs were first created by the Local Government (District Electoral Areas) Regulations 1973 (No.94) Will Hay William Thomson Hay FRAS (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian who wrote and acted in a schoolmaster sketch that later transferred to the screen, where he also played other authority figures with comic failings. His film Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937), made by Gainsborough Pictures ,
2233-665: The royal family and many military notables. This was at a private function at the Life Guards barracks in Windsor . It was not publicised in the newspapers due to security concerns. Hay's character during his radio series was called Dr Muffin, a name chosen so that the students could mock him with the name "Old Crumpet". In June 1932 he joined the British Astronomical Association , in November of
2310-653: The single transferable vote , most wards elect either three or four councillors. Starting from the 2022 Scottish local elections , the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 , allows electoral wards to have between one and five councillors. Districts in Northern Ireland are divided into electoral areas, with each electing between five and seven councillors by single transferable vote. These are themselves sub-divided into wards, but these wards have no official function. Post-1973 wards were first created by
2387-534: The 1925 Royal Command Performance before King George V and Queen Mary . Hay published a magazine piece entitled Philosophy of Laughter , in which he discussed the psychology of comedy. In the essay he rhetorically asks, "Why does every one of us laugh at seeing somebody else slapped in the face with a large piece of cold custard pie? Is it because we're all naturally cruel? Or is it because there's something inherently funny in custard pies? Or in faces? Or in throwing things? No, no, and no! The real reason why we laugh
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2464-516: The Bishop Suffragan of Woolwich. A woman is listed among the names – Rosabelle Stanley, a nursing sister. Crofton Park Library, originally known as Brockley Branch Library, was opened in October 1905 to serve the expanding local population. It is a Carnegie library . Its architect was Alfred L Guy, ARIBA, and it was constructed by F J Gortham of Greenwich . The library is of an eclectic Edwardian free-style composition. Its entrance facade
2541-763: The Catford loop line (through Crofton Park). These include four stopping Thameslink services per hour at this station, and a Victoria to Bellingham service to provide additional trains per hour. There are three other train stations within a ten to 15-minute walk of Crofton Park Station: Brockley railway station , Honor Oak Park and Ladywell . Honor Oak Park and Brockley stations provide rail links to London Bridge , London Victoria , Shoreditch High Street , Highbury & Islington , Crystal Palace , Sydenham , East and West Croydon and Caterham . Both stations are served by Southern and since 2010 London Overground services. A number of bus services operate throughout
2618-600: The Days returned to act as his sidekick in The Black Sheep of Whitehall . The Goose Steps Out (1942) for Ealing was an effective piece of anti- Nazi slapstick . In the film, Hay acts as a British spy posing as a Nazi agent and teaches Nazi students about British customs. When lecturing them on this topic, he tells the students that the V sign (often used in Britain as an insult) is a mark of respect, and instructs
2695-647: The Narkover vein of humour in the work of Daily Express columnist, Beachcomber . Hay's film was widely seen as subversive towards authority, and it was granted an 'A' (adult) certificate by the British Board of Film Classification . Boys Will Be Boys is widely regarded as Hay's break-out film. Writing for The Spectator , Graham Greene described the film as "very amusing", and Hay's portrayal of Dr. Smart as "competent", though Green thought Claude Dampier 's portrayal of Second Master Finch (Hay's adversary)
2772-480: The UK. An average area of wards or electoral divisions in the United Kingdom is 28.109 km (10.853 sq mi). The London boroughs , metropolitan boroughs and non-metropolitan districts (including most unitary authorities ) are divided into wards for local elections. However, county council elections (as well as those for several unitary councils which were formerly county councils, such as
2849-588: The United Kingdom are electoral districts at sub-national level, represented by one or more councillors . The ward is the primary unit of English electoral geography for civil parishes and borough and district councils, the electoral ward is the unit used by Welsh principal councils , while the electoral division is the unit used by English county councils and some unitary authorities . Each ward/division has an average electorate of about 5,500 people, but ward population counts can vary substantially. As of 2021 there are 8,694 electoral wards/divisions in
2926-408: The United States in the 1920s, although, at the time he doubted he had a future in this field. Having returned to Britain, Hay started work at Elstree Studios in 1934 where he made three films, Those Were the Days , Radio Parade of 1935 and Dandy Dick . Hay's work at Gainsborough was his most successful, and source of his reputation as a great comic actor. During this period he became one of
3003-556: The area and is located on Manwood Road. The area has a number of primary schools, including: Healthcare for the area is commissioned by Lewisham CCG . There is a modern teaching hospital a short walk away. There are two pharmacies in the area, as well as a local opticians Crofton Park Football Club was formed in May 2007 and is the area's local side. Wards of the United Kingdom The wards and electoral divisions in
3080-630: The area providing links to the West End/The city. Services include: Crofton Park electoral ward includes part of the Honor Oak Park area and is one of 18 wards in the London Borough of Lewisham . It is currently represented by two Labour councillors and one Liberal Democrat who were elected on 6 May 2010 when the General Election and London Borough elections took place on the same day. Across Lewisham, Labour gained heavily from
3157-567: The building company Wates. In common with many areas of London, Crofton Park was damaged during the Second World War, particularly by V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets , with the area north of Crofton Park Station on Brockley Road suffering many strikes. A V1 'doodlebug' hit on the evening of 18 June 1944 destroyed Brockley Road School and killed five members of the Crofton Park Home Guard. The men are commemorated by
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3234-539: The class swot D'arcy Minor, and Billy Nicholls playing the dumb Beckett. The series lasted for four months and was cancelled, it is said, due to Hay's dispute with the BBC over the quality of the scripts. Just before Christmas, the show went live at the Victoria Palace for six weeks. The sketch was performed one more time at a gathering of variety entertainers at midnight on 4 May 1945 (4 days before VE Day ) before
3311-403: The class to make a synchronised V sign to a portrait of Adolf Hitler . This scene is often considered one of the most iconic from a British comedy film . During Hay's tenure with Ealing he was credited as a director in three of his films, The Black Sheep of Whitehall , The Goose Steps Out and My Learned Friend . In all three, he co-directed with Basil Dearden . In 1942, he starred in
3388-548: The country". The English Heritage listing rests largely on the Rivoli's 1950s makeover, describing it as a: "luxuriant, exotic and deeply theatrical" interior, little altered since 1960. Its listing notes that it has special historic interest as witness to the important dance trends of the 1950s and '60s – also noting that attending a dance at Rivoli Ballroom is listed in Time Out 's list of 101 things to do in London. In 2012, it
3465-622: The early cinema was renamed the Rivoli in 1929 and subsequently turned into a ballroom . It has a beautifully conserved interior which largely dates from the 1950s, although the Brockley Road elevation dates from 1931 and the barrel-vaulted ballroom ceiling (originally the cinema auditorium) is also earlier. It was saved from development as a block of flats after English Heritage gave it a Grade II listing in 2007. A feature in Country Life described it as: "the best dance space in
3542-624: The film as among his best work, and it was described in 2006, by The Times in its obituary for writer Val Guest , as "a comic masterpiece of the British cinema". Jimmy Perry , in his autobiography, wrote that the triumvirate of Captain Mainwaring , Corporal Jones and Private Pike in Dad's Army was inspired by watching Oh, Mr Porter . Both Moffatt and Marriott were absent from Hay's 1938 film, Hey! Hey! USA with American comedy actor Edgar Kennedy being cast as Hay's sidekick instead;
3619-582: The film was a somewhat unsuccessful attempt to crack the American market. In his Gainsborough films, Hay wore a wig, which made it appear as if he was balding. Hay decided to break up the partnership with Moffatt and Marriott after their 1940 film Where's That Fire? due to his concern that their act was becoming repetitive. He was known to dislike working with the pair, describing their partnership as "a three legged stool". He had also expressed concern that Moore Marriott , who portrayed Harbottle, received
3696-693: The following year, when he had plans to become a film producer but, in 1947, his friend Marcel Varnel , who had directed many of Hay's films, died in a car accident, and Hay postponed his plans. He made his last public appearance on Good Friday (15 April) 1949. Hay died at the age of 60 on 18 April 1949 after suffering a stroke at his flat in Chelsea, London . His body was buried in Streatham Park Cemetery in London. Those who were present at Hay's final appearance described him as showing no sign of illness, and said he had discussed his plans for
3773-463: The future. Comedians who have cited Hay as an influence include Ken Dodd , Eric Morecambe , Tommy Cooper , Harry Worth , Harry Enfield , Jimmy Perry and David Croft . Ronnie Barker also cited Hay as an influence, and in 1976 hosted a documentary on BBC Radio that discussed Hay's life and career. 'The Will Hay Appreciation Society' was founded in 2009 by British artist Tom Marshall and aims to preserve Hay's legacy and bring his work to
3850-558: The growing population. The London Encyclopaedia describes this development as: "a mixture of terrace houses for 'clerkly classes' and local authority flats and houses." A handsome Edwardian public library was built next to the railway station in 1905 and, eight years later, a local cinema – the Crofton Park Picture Palace – first opened its doors. This later became the Rivoli Ballroom. Brockley Hall,
3927-421: The harmfulness of tobacco' and 'Swan Song'. David and Michael starred and Peter directed. There was no finance and virtually no facilities but the short run proved a big success, especially with local people. Gradually, finance was secured and with the help of the brewery, Greene King , the room has been transformed over the years into the vibrant little theatre, fully equipped, that it now is. It has now become
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#17327880023914004-483: The most prolific film stars in Britain. On three occasions, British film exhibitors voted him among the top ten box office stars in an annual poll run by the Motion Picture Herald. He was ranked 8th in 1936, 4th in 1937 and 3rd in 1938. His first film for the studio was Boys Will Be Boys , whose screenplay was written by Hay himself. The movie's satire on the public school system was loosely based on
4081-501: The other building being the Horniman Museum at Forest Hill . The church hall adjacent to the current church was its forerunner and originally served as a mission hall. Designed by J E Newberry, it is also Grade II listed. The war memorial in front of the church is in the form of a granite Celtic cross and is inscribed with 141 names of the fallen. It was unveiled on 29 May 1920 by General Sir Ian Hamilton and dedicated by
4158-427: The other parties, taking the council from no overall control to a Labour majority of 24 seats. The Liberal Democrats lost a net of five seats, Crofton Park ward being the party's only gain from Labour anywhere in London. This change was put down to the rapid gentrification of the local area. The in the years 2007–2008 renovated Crofton School – now renamed Prendergast Ladywell School – is the main secondary school in
4235-489: The rebuilt Brockley Jack pub opened in 1898, it had a large function room at the rear of the building. The room has been used variously as a dance hall, a snooker room and a music venue, and by the 1980s, as nothing much at all. A small group of local actors, David Kincaid, Peter Rocca and Michael Bottle, hit upon the idea of staging dramatic productions in this back room. So, in 1993, the first of these ventures took place: 'An evening with Chekhov', featuring two one-handers, 'On
4312-586: The same year he became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society . He is noted for having discovered a Great White Spot on the planet Saturn in 1933. Hay kept his career in astronomy separate from his comedy career and published Through My Telescope under the name of W.T. Hay , using the same title when giving lectures on astronomy. Hay was an advocate for education on astronomy and considered those who had an interest in astronomy "the only men who see life in its true proportion". In
4389-543: The streetscape". In 2011, the library was outsourced by the Council to be run as a Community run model, by Eco Computer Systems, now renamed Eco Communities. The library takes computer and book donations to help with the running costs of the building. The library is staffed by volunteers which meant unlike the Council run libraries it was closed for much of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, finally reopening in April 2021. When
4466-416: The time of the building's demolition states: "A penthouse on one side sheltered some of the seats and on the other side was a staircase leading to the upper floor of an annex built at right angles to the main building... Within, the rooms are dark with low-pitched ceilings and redolent of beer and tobacco, of which is added the flavour of antiquity from ancient walls and beams." The association with highwaymen
4543-552: The time, including Leslie Banks , John Mills and Michael Redgrave . His final film, My Learned Friend in 1943 has been described as a masterpiece of black comedy and has been cited as paving the way for the future Ealing comedy films Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Ladykillers (1955). Due to ailing health, My Learned Friend was Hay's final film. Hay was scheduled to star in another film for Ealing in 1943, Bob's Your Uncle , but his diagnosis of cancer prevented him from proceeding. Hay's tenure with Ealing
4620-558: The wards within a local authority area typically each contain roughly the same number of electors, and each elect three councillors. In local authorities with mixed urban and rural areas, the number of councillors may vary from one to three, depending on the size of the electorate. Where civil parishes exist, a ward can be adjacent with a civil parish or consist of groups of civil parishes. Larger civil parishes (such as Shrewsbury ) can be divided into two or more wards. The City of London has its own sui generis form of local government and
4697-426: Was 15. They legally separated on 18 November 1935. However, they never divorced and Gladys cited the reason for this was that she was a Roman Catholic. They had two daughters and a son: Gladys Elspeth Hay (1909–1979), William Edward Hay (1913–1995) and Joan Athol Hay (1917–1975). Following his separation from Gladys in 1935, he was in a long-term relationship with Randi Kopstadt, a native of Norway. Off-screen, Hay
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#17327880023914774-606: Was a box office success and his films were critically acclaimed, but have been described as not at the level of his Gainsborough films with Moffatt and Marriott. The half-hour weekly Will Hay Programme began in August 1944, and was broadcast live from the BBC Paris Theatre in Lower Regent Street. With him in his schoolmaster role, were his pupils, Charles Hawtrey playing the cheeky Smart, John Clark as
4851-490: Was a passionate aviator, and gave flying lessons to Amy Johnson . In 1946 while on holiday, Hay suffered a stroke which left the right side of his body crippled and also affected his speech. He was told by his doctors that he would in all likelihood only make a partial recovery. Following his stroke, he spent time in South Africa on the advice of his doctors, because of the climate. His health had improved slightly by
4928-454: Was a prolific film star in Britain and was ranked the third highest grossing star at the British box office in 1938, behind George Formby and Gracie Fields . He is widely regarded as one of the most prolific and influential British comedians of all time. Hay worked with Gainsborough Pictures from 1935 to 1940, during which time he developed a partnership with Graham Moffatt , playing an insolent overweight schoolboy, and Moore Marriott as
5005-452: Was always wrapped in a blanket at certain hours and had his tea, and we all stopped talking while he was having his tea, and then we went on shooting. I don't remember him saying anything memorable, nothing I could remember at all. He was very funny when you saw him on the screen, but in life all those people are very, very strange." He was known to be a hypochondriac , and would often complain of illness to his colleagues when working. Hay
5082-406: Was described as being something of an eccentric, and a very serious and private man, and some thought he may have had a dark side due to his demeanour. Peter Ustinov , who made his film debut in The Goose Steps Out as a straight man to Hay, said in a 1990 interview when asked about working with him "Well, Will Hay wasn't very funny but I found that very few comics are"; he also said "And Will Hay
5159-539: Was designed by F H Greenaway and J E Newberry. The Grade II listed building is constructed of Crowborough brick with Chilmark stone dressings and is a fine example of Arts and Crafts ideas superimposed onto Gothic church design. Its English Heritage listing describes it as one of the best Edwardian churches in London. It has been described by the architectural historian Gavin Stamp as one of two "remarkable and inventive buildings" which distinguish this part of South London,
5236-483: Was included in a feature in The Guardian about London's hidden interiors. Described as a popular location of music, fashion and TV shoots because of its kitsch and authentic interior, the article also notes: "There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in London." It maintains a lively calendar of events, including cabaret , dance competitions and themed evenings, including tea dances , and Jackie's Juke Box,
5313-528: Was just across the road from Brockley Hall. The Hall's lodge stood in Brockley Grove on the approximate site of what are now the front gardens of nos. 24–28. The 1901 census returns show Bertram Noakes as head of the household living in Brockley Hall with his five spinster sisters (Pauline, Elizabeth, Kate, Ada and Maude) and four servants. Maude Noakes was the last survivor. An eccentric, she
5390-648: Was less than a year old the family moved to Lowestoft in Suffolk . By his late teens, Hay had become fluent in Italian, French and German and secured employment as an interpreter. Hay decided to become an actor when he was 21 after watching W. C. Fields perform a juggling act in Manchester . In the early years of the twentieth century Hay experienced some moderate success as a stand-up comedian and an after-dinner speaker. Hay's first professional job came when he
5467-475: Was offered a contract to perform at a theatre in Belper . In 1914 Hay began working with the impresario Fred Karno who had previously helped Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin achieve success. He worked with Karno for four years. He first performed his schoolmaster character in 1910 which he based upon a colleague of his sister, who was a teaching mistress. The characterisation was initially performed in drag as
5544-418: Was one of the most appreciated in Hay's act, a dim-witted, nearly deaf old man who is still in school because he's so backward. The character later featured in Hay's films portrayed by Moore Marriott . In a 1976 interview, Val Guest , who served as a screenwriter for many of Hay's films, recalled transposing Harbottle from school into other everyday situations. He famously performed the schoolmaster routine at
5621-506: Was one of the most photographed pubs in South East London. It was a long, low building with a bay window looking onto the front garden. It had been extended and altered many times during its long history. In the garden were rows of seats and tables beneath old trees, and a large but almost branchless tree stump carrying the pub's sign board. The sign was written on a whale's shoulder blade. A contemporary account, recorded at about
5698-519: Was rebuilt as a more substantial structure of brick and stone in 1898. Its foundation stone was laid by Wickham Noakes. A representation of a whale's shoulderblade hangs on a high gable outside the front of the Jack. The real whale's shoulderblade (on which was once the pub's sign) is exhibited above the fireplace to the right of the bar. Situated in Stondon Park, St Hilda's Church dates from 1907 and
5775-517: Was the film's "finest performance". Many years later, the Radio Times Guide to Films gave Boys Will Be Boys three stars out of five, observing that the film contains "the blend of bluster and dishonesty that makes his films irresistible". During his time with Gainsborough Hay worked with Marcel Varnel , Val Guest , Charles Hawtrey , and Marriott Edgar , as well as Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt , who were Hay's straight men in
5852-408: Was the naming of the station as Crofton Park which gave the area its modern and invented name. Despite this being the historic heart of Brockley, that name had already been used for two earlier railway stations further north – Brockley Station and Brockley Lane Station . The rapid pace of expansion of the area continued pre-First World War, with the building of more shops and facilities to support
5929-474: Was well known for her large collection of pets. The old lady would bury her pets in the grounds of Brockley Hall and give each one a marked gravestone – even her pigs and cows. Following Maude's death in April 1931 the property was quickly sold and demolished. Brockley Hall Road, Bearsted Rise, Horsmonden Road, Sevenoaks Road and the 1930s houses in Brockley Grove were built on the site of the Hall and its grounds by
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