AT the aged of 77, Derek ‘Blaster’ Bates is as dynamic as ever.
The man who says he has raised more than £6m for charity in his 50-plus years as a comedian, is still pulling in the audiences with his own explosive brand of humour. Blaster was an explosives expert, hence the name. Chimney stacks, buildings, tree stumps, you name it — he’s probably blown it up.
But it was in 1947 when he was first asked to give a talk on his explosive exploits by Crewe Round Table, that his comedy talents were unveiled.
Since then he hasn’t looked back. ‘My record was released in 1969 and sold 64,000 copies in two months,’ he says proudiy. ‘I’ve travelled across the world talking about my exploits.’
Blaster’s humour is the old-fashioned type -good fun and ‘a bit naughty in places’. It appeals to people of all ages and from all walks of life.
‘The audience varies from young people to old,’ said Blaster, who lives in Deans Lane, Sandbach.
‘Just before Christmas I was at the Ministry of Defence at Farnborough; before that Newark; before that Taunton and before that York.’
Ask him how much longer he intends to keep going and he laughs.
The man who says he has raised more than £6m for charity in his 50-plus years as a comedian, is still pulling in the audiences with his own explosive brand of humour. Blaster was an explosives expert, hence the name. Chimney stacks, buildings, tree stumps, you name it — he’s probably blown it up.
But it was in 1947 when he was first asked to give a talk on his explosive exploits by Crewe Round Table, that his comedy talents were unveiled.
Since then he hasn’t looked back. ‘My record was released in 1969 and sold 64,000 copies in two months,’ he says proudiy. ‘I’ve travelled across the world talking about my exploits.’
Blaster’s humour is the old-fashioned type -good fun and ‘a bit naughty in places’. It appeals to people of all ages and from all walks of life.
‘The audience varies from young people to old,’ said Blaster, who lives in Deans Lane, Sandbach.
‘Just before Christmas I was at the Ministry of Defence at Farnborough; before that Newark; before that Taunton and before that York.’
Ask him how much longer he intends to keep going and he laughs.
The Crewe Chronicle 24th January 2001
No stopping Blaster
‘Until I drop dead,’ he said. ‘I’ll keep going as long as I can. If I didn’t, what would I do? Vegetate?’
Blaster’s ‘long suffering’ wife, Maude, often travels with him when he’s on the road. He laughs: ‘She sits in the theatre dressing room and asks them to turn the speakers off so she can’t hear me. She’s heard it all before so she takes a book to read.’
The conversation has been peppered with one-liners and he nearly chokes with laughter as he remembers the questions ‘one silly b****** of a reporter’ asked him when he was blowing up a chimney stack down south.
Then he starts.
Did you hear about the old man jogging through Sandhach Park? And what about....
Blaster Bates is one of the old school, a real character, and you can’t help but like him. While you couldn’t brand his humour as good clean fun, it certainly isn’t offensive, and he’s made generations of people laugh.
• Blaster Bates will be appearing at Sandbach Town Hall to raise money for the St Mary’s Church Bell Appeal on February 2 at 7.3Opm. Tickets are available from Demeter Wholefoods on Wells Street and Bramwell Opticians, Hightown, Sandhach.
Blaster’s ‘long suffering’ wife, Maude, often travels with him when he’s on the road. He laughs: ‘She sits in the theatre dressing room and asks them to turn the speakers off so she can’t hear me. She’s heard it all before so she takes a book to read.’
The conversation has been peppered with one-liners and he nearly chokes with laughter as he remembers the questions ‘one silly b****** of a reporter’ asked him when he was blowing up a chimney stack down south.
Then he starts.
Did you hear about the old man jogging through Sandhach Park? And what about....
Blaster Bates is one of the old school, a real character, and you can’t help but like him. While you couldn’t brand his humour as good clean fun, it certainly isn’t offensive, and he’s made generations of people laugh.
• Blaster Bates will be appearing at Sandbach Town Hall to raise money for the St Mary’s Church Bell Appeal on February 2 at 7.3Opm. Tickets are available from Demeter Wholefoods on Wells Street and Bramwell Opticians, Hightown, Sandhach.
by Belinda Ryan
EXPLOSIVE HUMOUR: Blaster Bates. 9199X3A
Copyright The Crewe Chronicle, Reproduced here with their kind permission.
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