Les Dawson wasn’t like other comedians. More accurately, he was an artist.
A secret poet, voracious reader, distinguished writer, adroit musician, versatile actor and charming presenter, Dawson’s talents ran the entire creative gamut.
He just happened to be riotously funny as well.
2 February marks the birthday of one of the greatest performers that Britain has ever seen: A dexterous, sharp-witted national treasure who was taken from us too soon.
Born in Collyhurst in 1931, Dawson first caught the public eye during an appearance on Opportunity Knocks in the 1960s, quickly turning into one of the country’s most popular stage personas.
Introducing regional northern humour to the wider masses, Dawson would make the kind of jokes most people could relate to – favouring a gruff, deadpan delivery and purposely playing the wrong notes on the piano during performances, grumbling about his mistakes to the chuckling crowd.
Impeccable comic timing aside, Dawson also had a knack for slapstick – boasting a bizarre ability to pull mangled faces that sent audiences into fits of giggles (an old injury meant he could fold his jaw right up over his lip).
He created characters for his comic routines, too – teaming up with fellow comic Roy Barraclough to portray two gossipy millworkers Cissie Braithwaite and Ada Shufflebotham.
For the more risque subjects, the duo would mouth any rude words to one another – much in the same way that Lancashire women of old used to do amid the racket of the northern mills.
Les Dawson was born in Collyhurst on 2 February 1931 / Credit: BBC
By the sixties, Dawson had become one of the most prevalent faces in British comedy. But he took the scenic route to reach the stage.
In his youth, he had dreams of becoming a novelist – and temporarily swapped his humble surroundings of Collyhurst to mingle with the art crowd in the illustrious French capital .
This early part of his life was portrayed in an episode of Sky Art series Urban Myths in 2020 – revealing how Dawson was ultimately waylaid during his time in Paris and found himself plonked at the seat of a piano in a local brothel.
It was here, seemingly, that Dawson found he could make punters laugh – deliberately striking incorrect keys and throwing some jokes in for good measure.
After finding his feet on the comedy circuit, Dawson would go on to enjoy long television career that included credits for Fast Friends, Blankety Blank, Sez Les and Dawson’s Weekly.
He married twice and had four children – including Charlotte who went on to become a reality TV star.
Dawson developed his first set of serious health problems in the eighties, and after awaiting medical results at Whalley Range Hospital in 1993, the comedian suddenly collapsed and died of a heart attack.
He was 62.
In 2008, a statue of Dawson was placed in the gardens by St Anne’s-on-Sea pier in Lancashire – where he had lived for several years.
The statue of comedian Les Dawson / Image: Steve Daniels – Geograph
Wherever he went, whoever he played to, he’d often get the whole room laughing.
Featured Image – BBC
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Nearly a quarter of Brits are making cups of tea ‘all wrong’, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
A new survey has found that a staggering 127 million cups of tea are drunk in Britain each year, but apparently, a quarter of us are making them ‘all wrong’.
Nothing is arguably more British than a brew, right?
Whether you take it builder’s, milky, with sugar or sweetener, decaf, green, or even herbal, popping the kettle on and making a brew can be a sacred daily ritual for us tea-loving Brits, with everyone having their own personal tastes and preferences on how to make it the perfect cup.
But what is the correct way to make a cup of tea? Now that’s up for debate, but after finding out that nearly three quarters (72%) of Brits drink an average of four cups a day, Aldi has commissioned some new research to try and get to the bottom of it once and for all, and has polled the nation to discover what really does make the perfect cuppa.
Apparently, 78% of the population is so passionate about a good brew that they have to give exact instructions to someone if they offer to make them a cup.
A new survey has revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits are making cups of tea ‘all wrong’ / Credit: PickPik
English Breakfast tea was found to be the go-to choice of tea, with 67% of survey respondents calling it their favourite, but there does appear to be a bit of discrepancy when it comes to how to make it though – as 78% say they like to add the water first before letting the bag stew for two minutes to achieve the ultimate ‘toffee brown’ shade.
Almost half (49%) agreed that a splash of semi-skimmed milk should then be added to help bring the temperature down, and two in five (38%) prefer no sugar in their liquid gold… but that’s where the similarities seem to end.
According to Aldi’s research, almost a quarter (22%) of people are making their tea ‘wrong’ by putting the milk in first.
“It’s clear that tea remains a very important part of our lives, with the average Brit consuming a staggering 1,460 cups a year,” commented etiquette consultant, Jo Bryant.
“I’m with the majority, as I love a cup of English Breakfast tea, freshly-brewed for around two minutes, with a moderate amount of milk, and it’s always tea first, milk last – it is good manners when making someone else a cup of tea to check how they like it.
“Most people simply ask about milk and sugar, but it is better tea-making etiquette to also enquire about strength and any other preferences.
“Try to take the time to make perfect brews for friends, colleagues and family, and make sure you remember just how they like it for next time.”
Featured Image – Flickr
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Levi’s are the latest fashion brand to launch an Oasis collection
Danny Jones
In case you missed it amid the tidal wave of merch currently flooding our feeds and shops everywhere, global fashion brand Levi’s has become the latest label to launch an Oasis collection.
With the Live ’25 world tour now officially underway, it feels like not only are Oasis back on top, but that there’s a large-scale Britpop revival happening here in the UK and overseas.
In terms of fashion, the 1990s and early 2000s style has been steadily making its way into contemporary culture once again in recent years, but with seemingly every big name trying to hop on the marketing machine that is the Oasis reunion bandwagon, you can’t move for crossover.
Be they official collaborations like the one with Manchester City, adidas Originals; American fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch bashing out merch, or a local t-shirt maker on Bury Market, that famous logo is absolutely everywhere – cue Levi’s latest launch:
Releasing just five or five main pieces (not including individual item variations), Levi’s Oasis gear has been kept pretty straightforward, simply relying on a less is more philosophy and the quality that the denim specialists are renowned for.
Nevertheless, there is an undeniably 90s feel to the approach.
As well as the standard Oasis band tee design, available in the brand’s main red, white and blue colour, as well as black, white and light blue – the Manchester City influences never stray too far, after all – there are a couple of other types of tee.
However, while we’re sure plenty of people might have a penchant for the parka, the undeniable star of the show for us is the Type II Trucker Jacket with the group’s name and ‘Live Forever’ stitched on the breast pocket.
Still, at £170, these sure-to-be collectors’ items don’t come cheap, and that’s not even the most expensive in the Levi’s x Oasis collection. Regardless, if you fancy treating yourself, you can find them here in Manchester and at the likes of The Trafford Centre.
Any of it pique your interest?
Don’t worry if not because, as mentioned, there is absolutely tonnes of Oasis clobber at various different price points all over the place at the minute.
The Manc -
2nd February 2023 
