Famous People From Rotherham

[CHAIRBOY 10]

Wasn't the late BBC presenter, Michael Cooke, of Radio Sheffield and BBC North, from Rotherham or am I just been swayed by all the work he did at Rotherham Civic Theatre?

[lynblu 11]

I think they lived at Cawthorne, Barnsley. Don't know where their place of birth was.

 

Rikki Lee (Audrey Tomlinson) was born n brought up in Attercliffe, she went to school with my dad. My dad kept in touch & we as a family went to see them in cabaret loadsa times, always going backstage. Can remember visiting them at their home in Cawthorne. They were a wonderful couple, so full of fun & down to Earth.

[Tooeg 10]

Percy Sugden, just forgot his real name lived in Micklebrough.

 

Its Micklebring not Micklebrough and its in Doncaster not Rotherham, that also excludes one of the Chuckle brothers

[Redfyre 10]

Sandy Powell has been mentioned. He was a very popular comedian many years ago, and I remember talking to him in the mid-1960s. He was in that group of comics of the 1930s-1940s era that included Jewel & Warriss (from Sheffield). He did write an autobiography and I think it was called Can You Hear Me Mother?, which was, of course, his catchphrase.

On a literary note, I do believe that Anthony Trollope's wife came from Rotherham. Not many people know that!

Does anyone remember a lad from Rawmarsh called David Depledge? He was not exactly famous, but he went to London and became a literary journalist. He worked on Smith's Trade News for some years, and interviewed a number of famous authors.

[shihtzumad 10]

What about Billie Pearce comedian, am sure he is was from Rotherham

[Redfyre 10]

In my earlier message, I forgot to mention John Harris, the author. John started out as a cartoonist with the Rotherham Advertiser, and was later with the old Sheffield Telegraph in a similar capacity. He was a brilliant cartoonist. He later joined the Navy, then in subsequent years, following a return to South Yorkshire (he finally left about 1954), he wrote the best seller 'The Sea Shall Not Have Them', and it was so successful that he was able to become a full-time author. He wrote nearly a hundred books, novels and non-fiction. He also wrote under other names, and I believe that his daughter has carried on one of his detective series that were penned under the name of Max Hennessey. John died quite a few years ago. He never lost his affection for Rotherham.

Another Rotherham product who was a successful author (not, perhaps, as famous as Harris) was A. Arthur Eaglestone, who for many years lived at Hague Road, Rawmarsh. Arthur attended an elementary school in Rawmarsh and started work in a local steelworks; he later worked at Stubbin Colliery, where I believe he was a timekeeper, and it was during this time that, under the name of Roger Dataller, he produced "A Pitman's Notebook". He then won a miner's scholarship to Nee College,Oxford, and he came back to Rotherham, to work for the WEA as a tutor in literature. His other works included "A Pitman Looks at Oxford", "Oxford into Coalfield", and two novels --"Uncouth Swain" and "Steel Saraband". With T.A. Lockett, his son in law, he wrote "The Rockingham Pottery".

I think he died about 1980. Today, I imagine, he is just about totally forgotten, but he deserves to be on any list of Rotherham's favourite sons --and it might be timely for the Rotherham Advertiser to pen a couple of pieces about Eaglestone and Harris. I wonder: are there any relatives of either man still living in the Rotherham area?

[Treatment 10]

He was a 'match' for anyone. You have to be an oldie to get that one.

 

Nice one !

[Litres 10]

The chuckle brothers.

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qxsu9BQcYq4&feature=related

[TFishcake 10]

What about Captain Webb the English Channel swimmer?

 

according to wikipedia Captain Matthew Webb was born in Dawley Shropshire,

[PhilMurray 10]

Anyone remember Ronny Dukes and Ricky Lee?

 

lived in brinsworth for a while

[rotherhamgir 10]

jeremy clarkson was doncaster

 

sandy powell

david seaman

john lee

[flyer 10]

I think you're all grasping at straws here,even I pretty famous was born in Doncaster, :)