A paradise for old pros

This would certainly be true for the thousands of actors, cabaret and nightclub singers and dancers, musicians, acrobats, jugglers, contortionists, street entertainers, children’s entertainers, mime artists and illusionists for whom variety has shaped their lives.

Throughout their professional career this kind of individual is usually fit, active and full of life, but a time must come for even the most agile to take the final bow and head for retirement.

But where to go for these celebs, who are maybe less likely to accept their inabilities than the average Joe? Well where better than a little known retirement home, Brinsworth House, in Twickenham set up purely for those from the entertainment industry and their spouses.

It seems an alien prospect, conjuring up images of entertainers of a certain age, singing or juggling their way up the stairlift or pensioners donning fishnet stockings, and sparkly Trilby hats (only the ladies of course) and tapping out a chorus line across the canteen.

This is not far from the truth for a few of the residents who are still intent on cracking the odd slapstick joke, dolling up to the nines for a trip to the post office, or taking part in a sing song.

However, there is the majority who are enjoying the quiet life just like any other resident of any other retirement home would but in unique surroundings.

The grand house, on Staines Road, was set up in 1907 for the showbusiness sector, which was huge in that era.

Music was the big thing rather than television and the artistes were treated badly so a union formed. This consisted of 600 performers known as the Glorious 600, including Dan Leno – a musical star in the late 1800s – who bought the property for £2,500 with performers contributing £2 and 10 shillings each.

The Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund maintains the home and interestingly the Royal Variety Show is performed solely to help fund Brinsworth – which also receives help from the royal family, with the Queen as patron.

First impressions of the house, with its ornate foyer and sweeping staircase, lead me to believe that the residents live comfortably and it’s fitting that the first person I see, one of the nurses, is strolling along whistling.

I am taken to meet Peter Elliot, executive administrator, who has been running the home for 17 years and, coming from an entertainment background himself, strikes me as the archetypal performer with his dark glasses and laid back comical manner.

Surrounded by pictures of well known celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, the Two Ronnies, Michael Crawford and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Peter tells me: “I started tap dancing when I was 14 and went straight into showbusiness. Being a dancer is a bit like being an athlete, it can end in your late 30s.

“I then became part of a comedy duo then went into management and looked after Dick Emery and Norman Wisdom.

“We take on people from television and circus as well as variety.” Peter goes on to explain: “If we took on people purely from variety we would not be very popular as it is not around so much now.

“We would not survive if we were not a charity and we don’t make a profit.

“As well as the Royal Variety Show we get fantastic support from the royal family but it is more difficult to get funding from the state.

“Some people who come in here don’t have any money, but nobody is turned away, so sometimes we have to get the state to help.” The house has seen some characters in its time and one who is fondly remembered is Whinny Whitby who used to dance on a ball in the circus and lived to be 103.

Current residents include names such as Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman, well known for his “Greetings Pop Pickers” catchphrase, comedian Charlie Drake and Richard O’Sullivan, star of 1970s shows Man About the House and Robin’s Nest.

One of the residents is a perfectly formed little person, Pepe Poupee, who has miniature belongings in her room and there is also a member of the former Black and White Minstrels at the home.

Dame Thora Hird, whose career spanned 80 years, died at the home last year aged 91.

Those living at the house do not “sit around in a room smelling of cabbage and urine”, Peter assures me.

“Because they are performers they don’t really take much notice of age.

“It takes a long time to creep up on them and we do have a lot of fun here.

“As they are entertainers we try to make it interesting.

“We don’t want a sombre feeling and we have wonderful staff and this is how it should be.” Why though, should those from the entertainment industry be set apart from the rest of us? “We have people here from all walks of life, across the entertainment business,” Peter explains.

“If they went into a normal retirement home they may not have anything in common with them.

“We are talking about artistes, people with certain egos and temperaments. They need involvement with similar people, rather than going into a home with 36 bricklayers.” It has also been pointed out that there are several actors’ retirement houses across the country and even homes purely for gay men, so the concept is not so unusual.

The 64-strong team of staff consists of care assistants, chefs, waitresses, maintenance, cleaners and of course, matron.

The house, which used to be referred to as the old pros’ paradise, takes up to 36 residents and is usually full and much in demand, even by those outside the entertainment sector who often try to sneak in.

Residents receive 24 hour care and each room is named after a celebrity or organisation who pays for that space.

These include, amongst others, Jim Davidson, the Crazy Gang, Brian Conley and Max Bygraves, as well as institutions like the BBC and ITV.

Sheila Gould has been matron at the home for the past 18 years.

“As people get older their needs change,” she says.

“I think we give very good care and the residents really benefit.

“They love being here – nobody has been dragged here. We make sure their lives are as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

“We take them out to shows to make as much variety as possible and do things within the entertainment sector.” The building itself houses a TV room, dining area, a huge sitting room and, perhaps vitally for these sociable souls, a bar.

“There are a lot of people here in their mid 90s,” Sheila says.

“They are strong but vulnerable and most used to move from town to town and from musical to musical.

“To some of them we are their family and we love them. We encourage them to go into the dining room and if they don’t like the food they can usually have something else – the chef is a big softy.

“They all have their own televisions and if they don’t want company they can just go to their rooms.

“Quite a few like to get their own shopping, as long as they tell me, or socialise in the bar.

“We have magicians, Punch and Judy men, singers, dancers, tappers, actors and DJs.” After Sheila introduces me to some of the residents, including a resident ‘glamour puss’ who was fully made-up complete with dark glasses, I am led to the wall of fame, which adorns one of the upstairs walls, complete with tales of each person pictured.

Performers such as Mavis Vernon, who used to hide food in her bed and handbag, Jean Adrienne, who apparently still had amazing legs when she came into the home, and a woman who was sold as a baby for £35 and married a black singer.

Although the house is an uplifting place how does Sheila cope when people die?

“I hate losing them,” she says, “I can only think we do the best we can. We give them as much love and care as we can. The staff look at the residents as family. When they die we just have to think we have made their lives as comfortable as possible.

“For some, their final years have been very happy, with residents finding love or even getting married after moving into the home.

“They build up great friendships and they argue too, all the time.” Establishing that while this could be the final career curtain for the residents of Brinsworth House they will most certainly end up having the last laugh.