Redcoats Who Made The Big Time Back

Jackie Clancy

Written by Rocky Mason

A name that has sadly, with the passing years, become almost forgotten, is Jackie Clancy, yet Jackie could be described as the pioneer of Redcoats who made the big time.

Like me he started his Butlin career as a Redcoat boxing instructor, the year was 1951 and the camp was Filey. Like so many others Jackie had 'stars in his eyes' and aspirations to get a foot on the showbiz ladder. His first steps towards this was his weekly portrayal of the loathsome 'Captain Blood', when thousands of Butlin beavers and other campers kids would noisily 'Hunt The Pirate'.

Jackie would be seen attired in a bright blue velvet jacket and trousers, large metal belt holding a pirates cutlass, thigh length boots, red wig and beard, an eye patch and pirates hat. Throughout the day, Radio Butlin would make announcements that would send the kids scurrying all over the camp in search of Captain Blood, the sworn enemy of all that was good at Butlins. Bing-bong "Hello kids. This is Radio Butlin calling, Captain Blood has just been sighted near the tennis courts. Go get him kids!" When captured he would be made to walk the plank before being pushed into the pool.

Jackie like so many other Butlin 'wannabe's' got his experience on the microphone by spending many hours, often in his own free time, calling bingo and doing quiz shows and theatre warm ups. For a couple of seasons he was proud to be the House Captain of Windsor dining hall. Jackie was over the moon to be given a couple of short spots in the Redcoat show, part of the visual comedy sketch 'If I Was Not Upon the Stage' and a routine with Des O'Connor called 'The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God'. Add this to a couple of crossovers and the Friday Au revoir and Jackie was on his way.

In 1956 Jackie went to seek his fortune in Australia, where, he had been told, the world of radio and television was still in its infancy and offering more opportunity to ambitious 'wannabes'. It wasn't long before he started making a name for himself and first on radio in Melbourne, where he hosted a popular radio show. The mischievous Redcoat was still very much a part of Jackie's alter ego, and it wasn't long before he earned a reprimand from the station manager for the way he'd reported the news that a local couple, Mr and Mrs Harold Ball, had saved the life of one of the city's policemen. Apparently the policeman, on his motorbike, had skidded into the river and, according to Jackie, had been 'pulled out by the Balls'. Jackie progressed to television and, being very much a man's man, the macho male Aussie quickly took Jackie to their hearts. He appeared with Des O'Connor and on a separate show with Bill Maynard, both, like Jackie, former Butlin Redcoats.

There are a number of Redcoats who made their name in the world of entertainment and I shall be writing about most, if not all of them, but I don't recall one who made it before Jackie Clancy. I do honestly believe that Jackie was the first!!