Legendary Leeds comic Barry Cryer has OBE has sadly passed away, aged 86.
The Yorkshire writer and comedian, best known for his work wtih Morecambe and Wise, David Frost and The Two Ronnies, had also been a fixture on the panel of BBC Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue since it began in 1972.
The circumstances surrounding his death are currently not known, including the cause.
Throughout his career, he worked with icons like Bruce Forsyth, Bob Hope, Spike Milligan, and the aforementioned Two Ronnies, and wrote a number of episodes for Doctor in the House, the 1969 TV comedy starring Simon Cuff and Barry Evans.
Born in Leeds and educated at the local grammar school, he then went on to continue his studies here - reading English Literature at the University of Leeds.
Having appeared in the University revue, he was then offered a week's work at the Leeds Cities Varieites theatre. At the time, the theatre was the home of iconic show The Good Old Days, which ran for 30 years from 1953 to 1983 - becoming the longest-running TV show of all time.
After learning his first-year results, however, Cryer left Leeds and university life for London -where he began his career at London’s Windmill Theatre after making an impression on Vivian Van Damm.
A short stint as an actor at the theatre ended rather promptly after several hospitalisations, caused by eczema, led to Cryer being released from his contract - at which point he decided to focus his attentions on writing over performing.
He went on to become a regular collaborator with David Frost, writing for The Frost Report from 1966 and 1967, a move that cemented him as a name to watch in the world of writing.
However, despite being a recognised talent, he mostly preferred to write in partnership and collaborated regularly with John Junkin. Together, the pair wrote two Christmas specials for The Morecambe and Wise Show, which aired in 1972 and 1976.
He also acted as a host on the ITV comedy panel show Jokers Wild between 1969 and 1974, and even had a hit song in Finland - with a rendition of Sheb Wooley’s 1958 novelty song Purple People Eater taking the number one spot in the charts the same year.
He married his wife Theresa in 1962 and is survived by four children - one of whom he launched a WW2 podcast called Now, Where Were We? with, shortly prior to his death.
As the news has broken, there has been an outpouring of emotion from friends, family and fans, with famous names including Stephen Fry, Piers Morgan, Jon Holmes and Richard Herring all taking to social media to pay tribute to the great man, his life and his work.
Richard Herring wrote: "Losing Barry Cryer is like losing a member of the family. Utterly gutted that I’ve had my last birthday joke.
"He was one of my absolute comedy heroes and kept working right to the fucking end. A life well lived and a connection to every great comedian of the last 60 years. RIP."
He later tweeted, "He made me laugh so much that I suppose it's only fitting he should finally make me cry."
Stephen Fry said: "Such sad news, one of the absolute greats of British comedy, Barry Cryer, is no more. A glorious, gorgeous, hilarious and gifted writer and performer who straddled all the comic traditions. Universally beloved … farewell, Baz."
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
The Hoot -
27th January 2022 
