Eyes And Teeth

Welcome to the final guest on Season 13 the RATS with Roy Walker.

Roy, Water Rat, gameshow host, radio star, tv comedian, Edinburgh Festival favourite talks to me today about his early days and talent shows to when he entered New Faces TV show which launched his Comedy Stand up career which led to Catchphrase onto Carpark Catchphrase with Chris Moyles and consequently his hit Edinburgh Festival show. Roy’s career saw him hosting TV shows such as Roy Walker’s TV Bloomers and Roy Walker’s Gameshow Moments as well as his appearance on The Royal variety Performance and had his own episode of the famous This Is Your Life with Michael Aspel OBE in the 1990’s.

Roy is proud of his roots and his off springs Josie, Mark & Phil who are all very talented in their own ways and this episode gives a little insight into the life of a funny man and his successes for which he has loved along the way including over 100 University bookings across the UK.

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth the Legendary Roy Walker

Kaplan Kaye

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth a wonderful man… PKR Kaplan Kaye

Kaplan grew up with his father Davey entertaining the world and Kaplan and his sister Melody have brought joy to audiences ever since. Melody being a Lady Ratling and Kaplan being a past King Rat.

Kaplan talks about his Music writing notably Chalkdust The Brat he co Produced with Roger Kitter, a consortway production. In recent years Kaplan tours the Ukaye Ukes with Brother Rat and performer Bill Dare where they merge the Ukelele sound with pop tracks of today.

He also blesses us with anecdotes of the business, and we get to know a dedicated showbusiness performer who oozes talent and kindness. Welcome to The RATS Kaplan Kaye

Welcome to Mike Martin – Scribe Rat and one of the GOWR trustees of the charity Mike made himself known to me once I joined the order and I found out much more about him once I bought a copy of his book BE LUCKY about his father and PKR George Martin the Casual Comedian.

Mike recalls those days of his missing father being on the road and of course spying on the windmill theatre waiting of his dad to finish work.

Conversations about Equity, Basil Brush, Keith Harris and Harry Worth and the grand order of water rats feature as well as some interesting anecdotes along the way about working as a supporting actor in film and television such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Only Fools and Horses episode the Jolly Boys. Mike is into his American West movies and locations in the Alamo and Tennessee and has researched for author purposes. And he talks about his projects he’s working on including a new tour titled Walking back to Happiness and The Jake Leg Jug Band.

Enjoy listening to my conversation with one of The RATS in 2022 Welcome to Eyes & Teeth Mike Martin

Colin Spaull

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth brother Water Rat the great Colin Spaull.

As I head off to another Water Rats Lodge and my next guest is flying out to another Doctor Who convention to meet his fans. Colin has been a very successful and proud jobbing actor who has stayed true to his business. He has loved being on screen or on stage since he was a child actor.

That transition is not always easy but his experiences he talks about today show him to care about what he does and that is why he has worked for over 6 decades in our industry.

From Italia Conti to working alongside Eric Sykes playing his son plus a sketch or two with Benny Hill and he tells of riding his scooter on a film set with a15 year old Hollywood star on the back.

Playing Peter in the series Heidi was a highlight as was 3 years in the west end playing Noddy for Enid Blyton. And of course, we cover his time on Dr Who working with Colin Baker and David Tennant and his long-time friendship with Emmerdale and Dr Who co-star Frazer Hines. Frazer is also a fellow Brother Rat.

Enjoy these anecdotes and moments from the life and times of Colin Spaull

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth The RATS Comedian George Saunders

George and I met at the Comedians Golfing Society about 15 years ago and have since become brothers in the Grand Order showbusiness charity and that is what this season is all about.

Performers giving their time to raise coins for charities including children's charities and the Royal variety Charity and www.gowr.net was born in 1889 to help those entertainers in hard times and is active today so much so it helped those in need during a certain pandemic.

In today's conversation George and I talk about being in Lodge and what it's like bantering with a mix of talent. He tells me about his experiences in the navy and how he was involved in stopping WW3, (we need him now) then he talks about how he ended up in Butlins as a red coat to working with Mike Jerome, Jeff Stevenson, Tommy Cooper, Elton John & Graham Taylor as well as his time at Bailey’s Cabaret Club in Watford.

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth George Saunders

Bobbo Roberts is a Clown and Circus performer; he has worked with horses as well as a dog and a goose in his act and in recent times has taken on security at concerts in Scotland which is pandemic created. If he can help it, he would rather be out there in the circus ring or back at Edinburgh Festival doing what he knows best and loves and that’s making people happy.

Bobbo grew up in a World of Circus, his family history meant that it was inevitable that Bobbo would be mucking out the elephants or putting on that red nose for that extra laugh but knowing Bobbo I think if his family weren’t in showbusiness then I believe he would have started the trend himself as its in his blood, you can tell by talking to him that he has soaked up his surroundings like a sponge and recalls so many memories of growing up in that world we know as Circus.

Stories of Water Rats, his father Bobby Roberts and friends of the family Jon Pertwee, Sir Ken Dodd, Norman Barrett MBE, Circus and Edinburgh festival along with Bobbo’s Edinburgh Festival experience make for a wonderful 45 minutes of behind the scenes of Showbusiness

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth Bobbo Roberts 

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth Photographer, Water Rat John McKenzie

If you recognise the name McKenzie and associate that with photographs that’s because John one for the sons of Doug McKenzie, famed photographer for the Royal Variety Performance for over 60 years, The Queen Mothers favourite photographer, Rock Stars, Movie Stars and comedians loved Doug as they did John who not only worked alongside his father snapping away but carried on his legacy through a lens for many including The Grand Order of Water Rats.

Both admired greatly within our industry John today talks about The Who, The Queen Mother, John Lennon, Morecambe and Wise, The Rolling Stones, Liz Taylor the list goes on, so I’ll let someone who was there tell the real story of behind the camera. Welcome to Eyes & Teeth the Rats John McKenzie

Ray Martin

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth season 13. The RATS

The Grand Order of Water Rats is a charitable organisation formed by entertainers in 1889 and 133 years later they found Steve Hewlett. If you delve into the history books of variety, many names from there will crop up mentioning the GOWR. Names such as Wee Georgie Wood, Little Tich, Ventriloquists Fred Russell & Peter Brough, and comedians Sandy Powell or George Martin the casual comedian. Some Water Rats bred natural entertainers and today's guest is just that. He is a talented gent who has written comedy for TV & Radio shows and their stars, he has acted, written songs and performed with the best. Today I talk about George Martin with one of his sons to find out what it was like to be the child of a brilliantly successful comedian on the circuit in the 1950’s & 60’s, a King Rat but to him he was purely just DAD.

Welcome to eyes and Teeth Ray Martin

Welcome to Eyes & Teeth Season 13 THE RATS

If you are bewildered as to what the Rats are still then you can go to our website www.gowr.net for the history, past members, current members, events, museum details and how to book your visit as well as finding what we do and who we raise coins for. 

My second guest in this series is Steve Barclay. We met in a nightclub in Benidorm, we were performing not clubbing. Steve tells all about his experience out there as well as his extensive time in theatre working with his favourite people including the late and great Sir Ken Dodd who was also a brother Rat.

Welcome to Eyes and Teeth the Rats - Steve Barclay

Welcome to Season 13 of Eyes & Teeth – This Season is Titled The RATS. The rats have been around since 1889 and there are never more than 200 members in the order at one time.

I was member 883 and my proposer was Roy Hudd OBE and seconder was Roger De Courcey.

Can you imagine sitting in lodge listening to anecdotes and laughing at fellow comedians or actors, musicians, magicians, ventriloquists or members of the Royal household sharing one thing that is universal and that is laughter.

At one time Laurel & Hardy were sat there with Wee Georgie Wood, or Little Tich would have turned up on a night off to talk about his busy week at the music hall. 
(With thanks to British Pathe for their incredible archive videos on you tube)

Just think of Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson adlibbing across the room when Max Bygraves trying to tell a story… The order is steeped in history of variety and humour, and we meet around 12 times a year on top of organising Charity Events as well as the highlight of each year when that years King Rat plans the biggest party in London in November at their very own Ball.

In recent times our last King Rat Duggie Brown was crowned in 2020, for obvious reasons his crown was rolled over to 2021 and 2022 where this year would have been his big event. Sadly, we lost Duggie to a sudden illness mid 2022 which still today saddens us.

Duggie was the most brilliant of Kings, we all were treated to the banter, he had the stories, and we were happy to hear them. He worked on stage as a brilliant comedian and as an actor in TV and commercials even towards the end he was turning work away.

We miss you Duggie. 

Max Bygraves OBE loved being part of the GOWR and his story today is told by my first guest in this season. Anthony Bygraves grew up surrounded by the glamour and glitz of British showbusiness and he himself has created a wealth of Music & Comedy as well as kept his father's legacy alive 

Anthony has Written Produced and Directed shows and records and toured worldwide in his own right. Listen to his story today as we chat about his father Max, The London Palladium, Judy Garland, Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, when James Mason saved his life, his final moments with Tony Hancock in Australia and so much more as he Tells us more than just one story.

Welcome to E&T The Rats Anthony Bygraves