Brinsworth House

Retirement home for retired entertainers in west London, England

51°26′38″N 0°20′57″W / 51.4439°N 0.3492°W / 51.4439; -0.3492OwnerRoyal Variety Charity

Brinsworth House is a residential and nursing retirement home for theatre and entertainment professionals^[1] on Staines Road, Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. The house is owned and run by the Royal Variety Charity and has 36 bedrooms, six living rooms, a library, an in-house bar and stage, and a staff of 64. It is set in five acres (two hectares) of land.

History

Brinsworth House was built in 1850; it opened as a retirement home in 1911.^[1]

The theatre architect Frank Matcham, in 1912, designed a wing at the house free of charge in aid of the fund. Work commenced in June and was completed in October.^[2]

The house is owned and maintained by the Royal Variety Charity, which was founded in 1908 to care for members of, what was at that time, the variety and music hall profession. The charity and the house are funded by the Royal Variety Performance, by voluntary donations and, since 2007, by part-proceeds from phone voting from ITV Network's Britain's Got Talent.^[1]

Residents

Previous celebrity residents have included:

Hylda Baker (died 1986)
Penny Calvert (died 2014), dancer and first wife of Sir Bruce Forsyth
Pearl Carr^[3] (died 2020)
Derek Cooper (died 2014), journalist, broadcaster and food specialist
Charlie Drake^[4] (died 2006)
Roy Fox^[5] (died 1982), British dance band leader
Alan Freeman^[4] (died 2006)
Mona Hammond (died 2022)^[6]
John Hewer^[7] (died 2008), best known for his role as Captain Birdseye
Dame Thora Hird^[4] (died 2003)
Renée Houston (died 1980)
Teddy Johnson^[3] (died 2018)
Kathy Kirby (died 2011)
Mick McManus^[8] (died 2013)
Alf Pearson^[9] (died 2012)
Emily Perry^[4] (died 2008)^[10]
Ronnie Ronalde^[11] (died 2015), music hall singer and siffleur
Ben Warriss (died 1993)
Jack Wilson (died 1970), of Wilson, Keppel and Betty fame
Mike Yarwood (died 2023)^[12]

Current residents include:

Richard O'Sullivan^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Donin, Janet (9 May 2009). "The show must go on at Brinsworth House". Surrey Life. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
^ History of Brinsworth House, Royal Variety Charity, accessed 12 June 2019.
^ ^a ^b O'Sullivan, Kyle (22 May 2021). "Where UK Eurovision entrants are now". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Cacciottolo, Mario (1 March 2007). "The show goes on for retired stars". BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
^ "Roy Fox Biography". OLDIES.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
^ "Meghan meets retired artists and entertainers at Royal Variety care home". Shropshire Star. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
^ "Captain Birds Eye actor dies, 86". BBC News. BBC. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
^ de Menezes, Jack (24 May 2013). "British wrestling great Mick McManus dies aged 93". The Independent. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
^ Kilvington, Joanna (24 June 2010). "Entertainer Alf Pearson reaches 100". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
^ "Edna's 'bridesmaid' dies at 100". BBC News. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
^ Leigh, Spencer (22 January 2015). "Ronnie Ronalde: Music hall artiste famous for his whistling and yodelling". The Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
^ "Mike Yarwood, comedian and impersonator, dies aged 82". BBC News. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
^ "Richard O'Sullivan and Mike Yarwood at Brinsworth House where they are residents". twitter.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023.