 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
Hi There! Remember the record? Really?? Great! So you're the one! Well, actually, if you're 40-Something or over and listened to BBC Radio 1 or watched TOP OF THE POPS on TV it may well ring a bell. |
 |
That's me, on the left, about 30 years ago, around the time "King Of The Cops" was released (well, actually, it escaped) but, even today, people ask me why I left Show Business. The fact is, my act was going downhill - FAST! The awful, terrible truth was that, without realizing it, I had become painfully, excruciatingly, agonizingly and insufferably BORING!!! |
|||||||
I began to suspect something was wrong with my cabaret act when applause came only when my microphone stopped working. And then, one night, halfway through my act, workmen began dismantling the podium. Pretty soon my confidence began to wane, and every other sentence in my act began with "...So… anyway...". I was deeply wounded when a 'Stage’ newspaper review described me as ‘... a duller version of Michael Aspel’, but I finally accepted it was time to quit when instead of taking encores and curtain calls, I had to thank my audience members by name. After one show a nice old lady tried to comfort me, saying "Don't feel too bad, Billy…lots of people have no personality…" Needless to say, all this was a massive blow to my confidence. I had always been headstrong and cocksure...or was it the other way around? A survey had revealed that my TV appearances made viewers long for the commercial breaks; indeed, on my last show the network cut away to live coverage of studio audience members smoking in the foyer. To add insult to injury, London Weekend TV tried to alter my contact by offering me the "coveted 5.30sm slot". I tried to liven the act up by asking Des O’Connor for some of his priceless quips, but on the last show I saw the ghost of Benny Hill giving me the "wrap it up" signal. I knew then that failure had gone to my head… I had become to show business what Eddie the Eagle is to ski-jumping. I began to lose weight and soon I looked terrible - like a haircut with a person attached. On the good side, I didn’t have an enemy in the world; the trouble was, all my friends hated me. It became so bad that I couldn’t think or see straight. I wouldn't have been able to see lumps in a lump factory…even on a good day I couldn’t find my behind with both hands… OK, OK - - JUST KIDDING! The fact is I quit ‘the business’ in 1980 for a new career in sales and marketing. My wife was expecting our daughter at the time and, after many miscarriages, was advised to go to bed for 6 months to ensure reaching full term. I also needed a new challenge and went into the exciting field of direct sales where I spent the next 25 years. This year I reached the ripe old age of 66 (Clickety Click!) and have just retired. |
|||||||||
So, what's the reason for this website, I hear you ask?
I support a childrens' hospice, (Keech Cottage Children's Hospice), a tremendously worthy cause, here in Luton by selling weekly lottery tickets for them. Tickets are only £1 each with a First Prize of £1000, 2nd Prize of £250 and 3 x 3rd prices of £50. There are 40 prizes in total, every week, and prize draws take place every Friday at the hospice offices by random computer selection. So, if you would like to support a worthwhile charity - why not join our WEEKLY LOTTERY SCHEME? The commitment is for only on £1 ticket a week and you could get a nice surprise by winning a prize! The bulk of weekly lottery ticket money goes directly to the children's hospice, making a substantial contribution to helping life-limited children and supporting their families through a most critical and painful time in their lives. Well, what about it? Will you join our weekly lottery? It's only £1 a week - although you can buy more tickets if you wish! Remember THERE ARE 40 PRIZES EVERY WEEK - AND YOU COULD WIN A CASH PRIZE, TOO! If you do, you'll have the great satisfaction of knowing that every week YOU are helping a truly worthwhile cause, and that whether you win or not, your weekly £1 has made a significant contribution towards the hospice funds. If you'd like to 'come aboard' just email me (email address at the bottom of each page), and I'll contact you by return email and arrange everything for you. And, if you know anyone else who would like to join, just let them know where to find me. I'll be happy to do the same for them. Meanwhile, thank you for visiting is, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the site. With every good wish, Bill. |
|||||||||
To Contact Billy By Email Click Here |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
