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John
Inman Plaque Unveiling |
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Last year
the entertainment world mourned the loss of one of its
most popular performers John Inman. John was best
known for his unforgettable portrayal of the camp Mr
Humphries in the popular BBC sitcom Are You Being
Served. The Heritage Foundation honoured the actor
with the unveiling of a Blue Plaque on 10th
February at his former home in Maida Vale, London and
Vicki was among the many celebrity guests attending.
John’s co star Wendy Richard performed the unveiling
before everyone present enjoyed a luncheon at The
Marriott Hotel in Regents Park, London. Also at the
event were June Whitfield, David Croft, Robin Gibb,
Rick Wakeman, Frank Carson, Linda Baron, Philip Madoc
and many more. |
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Heritage Foundation Blue Plaque Unveiling |
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Vicki,
whose daughter is a season ticket holder at West Ham
Utd, joined a host of the teams legends on 20th
January when The Heritage Foundation honoured former
squad manager John Lyall by unveiling a Blue Plaque at
West Ham’s Boleyn Ground in E13. The ceremony was led
by Sir Trevor Brooking and incorporated a number of
moving speeches by Sir Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and
Terry Venables. Among those present from the world of
football were Frank Lampard Snr, Billy Bonds and Ron
Harris. The prestigious gathering also included
several celebrities such as Jess Conrad, Robin Gibb,
Philip Madoc and Les Reed. Following the unveiling,
guests were invited to lunch hosted by Rick Wakeman
with an auction conducted by Tony Cottee and Tony Gale
which raised £9,500 for charity. Items auctioned
included 1966 World Cup photographs by Booby Moore
Martin Peters and Sir Geoff Hurst and items donated by
Carlos Tevez and Alan Curbishly and the current West
Ham first team. |
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Rhys
Daniels Butterfly Ball |
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Vicki joined a host of
stars for the glittering Butterfly Ball held in
November at London’s Marriott Hotel in Mayfair to help
raise funds for The Rhys Daniels Trust. The star
studded event was hosted by Chris Tarrent and Mike
Osman with the 2006 X Factor winner Ray Quinn
providing some show stopping entertainment.
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The celebrity guest
list also included Steve McFadden, Hannah Waterman,
Billy Murray, Jess Conrad, Cliff Parisi, Ricky Graves,
Dean Holdsworth and Vice Patrons Max Clifford and
Pauline Quirke. |
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UNICEF
Masked Ball |
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With
Christmas fast approaching comes the season of Charity
Balls and parties. This week saw Vicki at The Sheraton
Park Lane Hotel where, accompanied by her husband, she
attended the UNICEF Masked Ball. Also on the
distinguished guest list was reality TV star Ricardo
Ribeiro and Lord and Lady Roberts Davidson. The event
raised over £60,000 and featured an auction conducted
by Nick Bonham. |
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Heritage Foundation - Les Reed |
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Sunday 21st
October was a particularly hectic day for Vicki which
began with a return to the Grosvenor House Hotel,
London, to join in the celebrations given by The
Heritage Foundation to mark the 50th
Anniversary in show business of musician and
songwriter Les Reed. Les is famed for a multitude of
popular songs performed by singing legends including
Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Connie Francis and
Englebert Humperdinck to name but a few. |
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On his
hit list are songs such as It’s Not Unusual, Dalila,
The Last Waltz, Love Is All, Winterworld of Love and
There’s A Kind of Hush. Proceedings were launched by
comedian and host for the day Tom O’Connor opened by
reading a tribute from Roy Hudd before adding his own
in his own unique and inimitable style. Following the
delicious three course lunch, guests were treated to a
musical interlude performed by Billie Davis and star
in the making Anna Krantz. Further tributes followed
by PJ Proby and Johnnie Hamp interspersed with film
footage of Les’ career. The celebrity auction in aid
of the EABF was conducted by Joe Goodman, aided and
abetted by Tom O’Connor. |
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In
addition to those paying tribute, the distinguished
guest list also included Rolf Harris CBE, Jess Conrad,
Liz Fraser, Herbert Kretzmer, Stella Vaughan, Juliette
Kaplan and Craig Douglas. Immediately following the
reception, Vicki joined forces with Allo Allo
colleague Arthur Bostrom and drove to the London
Television Centre where they attended a recording of
An Audience with Al Murray. |
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London
Air Ambulance |
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Accompanied by Director of Photography husband Graham
Fowler, Vicki was at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in
London on 13th Oct where they attended a
Gala Ball given in aid of London’s Air Ambulance. The
event attracted a large number of celebrity guests
including Jess Conrad, Johnnie Briggs, Billy Murray,
Ed Stewart, Graham Cole, Derek Martin, Laila Morse and
Gerry Cowper. |
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Music was
provided by the China Grove Show Band with cabaret by
comedian Roy Walker. During the course of the evening
a celebrity auction and raffle were held to help boost
much needed funds for this worthy cause. |
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Heritage Foundation - Laila Morse |
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There was a real party
atmosphere in the ballroom of the Grosvenor House
Hotel – London on Sunday 23rd September for
a celebrity Luncheon given by The Heritage Foundation
in honour of Laila Morse, the lovable roguish Mo
Harris in the popular soap Eastenders. As with so many
of these functions Vicki was not only on the
distinguished guest list but was also on hand to help
former Heritage President and musical genius Rick
Wakeman host the proceedings drawing and presenting
raffle prizes. following the three course luncheon
tributes to Laila were made by Sun television critic
Garry Bushell and close friend and co-host Wendy
Richard. Comedy entertainment came from Joe Goodman
and Dave & Amos with music provided by Rick Wakeman
performing his legendary piano arrangement of the
Beatles Hit Elanor Rigby. The event closed with a
celebrity auction for charity. Among the Eastender
celebrities showing their support for Laila were;
David Spinks (Keith Miller), Gerry Cowper (Rosie
Miller), Perry Fenwick (Billy Mitchell), Natalie
Cassidy (Sonia Fowler), Linda Henry (Lorraine Salter),
Leslie Grantham (Dirty Den) & Wendy Richard (Pauline
Fowler) also present were; Anne Charleston, Jean
Furguson, Bert Kwouk, Bella Emberg & Philip Madoc. |
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Lady
Taverners Garden Party |
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A Summer
Evening Garden Party for 500 guests was held in the
College Garden of Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 10th
July to commemorate the 20th anniversary of
the founding of the Lady Taverners and Vicki was
present in her role as a member of the charity. Joined
by a host of celebrities from the world of
entertainment including June Whitfield, Judith
Chalmers and Lynda Bellingham, Vicki enjoyed the
performances given by a 153 strong Sing Live Choir, a
jazz band and the Westminster Morris Dancers. During
the course of the evening guests were also given the
opportunity to try their hand at table cricket as
demonstrated by children form the Brookfield House
School. |
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The event
was a wonderful celebration of what the Lady Taverners
have achieved for charity in the twenty years since
they were founded by Baroness Thatcher with so many
regions nationwide involved helping to give children,
especially those with special needs, the opportunity
to have fun while enjoying sport. |
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Haven
House Summer Fayre |
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The 15th
July saw the annual Summer Fayre staged at Haven House
Hospice and as ever, Vicki was present to give her
full support. Despite changeable weather, the event
was well attended and offered a wide range of
attractions including a BBQ, side shows, craft stalls,
live music and entertainment including dance from a
Chinese Dragon. |
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Also
joining in the fun and contributing to the success of
the day were fellow Patrons Glen Murphy, Ian Duncan
Smith and The Koumas. |
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Haven
House - Buddie Scheme |
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Vicki was back at
Haven House Hospice on 5th April in support
of the Buddie Scheme. The scheme was set up several
months ago in order to provide help and support for
the siblings of those with serious and terminal
illness. Says Vicki ‘The scheme is a very important
part of how the hospice helps the entire families of
the children diagnosed with serious long term and
potentially life threatening illnesses. When a child
is diagnosed, it is often easy to overlook to a point
how it might affect brothers, sisters and other
members of the family. This scheme addresses all those
issues.’ |
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Pictured with a
Pearly King and Queen and a Frank Lampard lookalike,
Vicki was on hand to help with the opening of the new
Buddie Meeting House in the grounds of the hospice. |
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The
Not Forgotten Association |
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Vicki teamed up with
actress Hannah Gordon as special guests at a charity
concert in aid of The Not Forgotten Association
(patron HM The Queen) and the London Scottish
Benevolent Fund on Thursday 19th April 07
at the London Scottish Regiment Headquarters in
London’s Victoria. Topping the bill was one of
Scotland’s foremost traditional singers, Isla St
Clair, also well known for her appearances on The
Generation Game. She was joined on the bill by Pipe
Major Gordon Walker, one of the world’s finest pipers,
comedian Terry Seabrooke and the Pipes and Drums of
the London Scottish Regiment. Supporting the event in
the audience was Adam Ingram MP along with veterans
from the armed forces including a contingent of
Chelsea Pensioners. The show was produced by Patrick
King and Isla St Clair |
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Collectomania |
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The
spring 2007 Collectomania Convention took place in
Milton Keynes from the 4th to the 7th
of May and Vicki joined a number of her
colleagues from the cast of Allo Allo in an appearance
on the 6th. It was quite a weekend for
Vicki who literally flew in from Norway on the Sunday
morning to attend. Both she and Arthur Bostrom had
been in Norway to undertake a series of Allo Allo
related personal appearances. Arriving at lunchtime,
Vicki joined her colleagues to meet and be
photographed with fans and of course to sign
autographs. |
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Also
present were Richard Gibson (Herr Flick), Arthur Bostrom
(Officer Crabtree), Sam Kelly (Hans Geering), Guy Siner
(Lt Gruber) John D Collins and Nicholas Frankau, (The
British Airmen) Sue Hodge (Mimi) and Carole Ashby
(Louise). As ever the cast were inundated with questions
and requests from fans and also took time out to be
pictured with a local amateur dramatic society who
arrived in full costume to promote their forthcoming
production of the stage version of the series. |
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Richard
and Judy |
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Vicki
teamed up with fellow Allo Allo co star Arthur Bostrom
on 28th April 07 to make a guest appearance
on Channel 4’s Richard and Judy Show. In a short
interview they discussed the forthcoming episode of The
Return of Allo Allo and the popularity of the original
series. |
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Ron
Greenwood CBE |
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Vicki was
at Upton Park, the home of West Ham United football club
on Sunday 21st January to witness the
unveiling of a Heritage Foundation plaque in honour of
the late west Ham and England Manager, Ron Greenwood
CBE. Among those also present were club owner Eggert
Magnusson, the 1964 FA Cup winning team, Alvin Martin,
Ray Houghton, eleven members of the Greenwood family,
Jess Conrad, Philip Madoc and Sue Upton. Accompanying
Vicki was her daughter, a keen West Ham supporter. |
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Chris
Evans Radio Show |
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Vicki made
a surprise guest appearance on Chris Evans
Radio 2
show on Monday the 16th October. The surprise
came while Vicki was in rehearsal for Matthew
Townshend’s production of Salad Days at The Greenwich
Theatre. She was originally expecting a slot with Chris
a week later but a last minute cancellation resulted in
Radio 2 contacting her at short notice to fill the gap.
“There were a couple of frantic phone calls via the PR
Company handling Salad Days and my PA as it was
difficult to get hold of me.” Explains Vicki. “I was in
the middle of a technical rehearsal and none of our
mobiles had a signal so one of the box office staff had
to come and find me with minutes to spare. I wasn’t
really expecting to do a live interview when the call
came and only had a few minutes to collect my thoughts
and be initiated as to what was happening. It was quite
nerve racking for a moment but Chris was absolutely
fantastic especially with the quiz as it’s quite
difficult to keep up with currant affairs when you are
totally immersed in rehearsing. Anyway it all turned out
to b e quite a little adventure in the end.” |
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SKY TV |
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Vicki has recently
recorded 2 television guest appearances for Sky TV. First for the
Overseas Property Channel in the programme Snap in which she discussed
her recent career, talked about her first home and its current market
value and played the property game. More recently she appeared as a
guest of Peter Purves and the programme Destination Lunch |
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Comic
Heritage Christmas Party |
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The 2006 Comic Heritage
Christmas Party took place at the Marriott Hotel in Regents Park,
London on 18th November. As ever a star studded event,
those present including Vicki were Shirley Ann Field, Jean Ferguson,
Philip Madoc and Johnny More. Cabaret was provided by Vanity Fair with
Harry Landis leading the charity auction.a |
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Comic
Heritage - June Brown |
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Vicki was
among the guests at a tribute luncheon given by Comic Heritage at
the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 15th October 06.
Other celebrities in attendance included John Inman, Bella Emberg,
Juliette Kaplan, Liz Fraser, John Savident and Harry Fowler. It goes
without saying that a large number of cast members past and present
from Eastenders were also among the guests including:- Wendy Richard,
James Alexandrou, Natalie Cassidy, Andrew Linford, David Spinx and
Gerry Cowper. As is customary at such events, lunch was followed by a
number of tributes, entertainment and a celebrity auction. |
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Summer Memorabilia
Show
Vicki made an
appearance at Birmingham’s NEC on Sunday 13th August 2006
as a guest at the Summer Memorabilia Show. The show which ran on 12th
and 13th was one of a number of similar conventions staged
throughout the year and as expected attracted thousands of
visitors. The event incorporated memorabilia from several cult TV
programmes and films including Dr Who, Star Trek and Star Wars with special guest appearances of some of the
stars. |
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Vicki who starred as
Yvette in the hit BBC sitcom Allo Allo joined a number of her
colleagues from the programme including Gorden Kaye (Rene), Guy Siner (Lt Gruber), Richard Gibson (Herr
Flick), Sam Kelly (Capt. Hans Geering), Arthur Bostrom (Crabtree), Kim
Hartman (Private Helga Geerhart), Sue Hodge (Mimi), Kirsten Cooke
(Michelle of the Resistance) and John D. Collins (Flying Officer
Fairfax). It was the largest reunion of the Allo Allo cast for a
number of years and proved to be quite a weekend for Vicki who flew in
from Cork on Sunday where she had been performing the comedy
play Funny Money, in order to join her colleagues. Landing at Gatwick
mid morning, she was driven straight up to Birmingham by event
organisers where she was given a rousing cheer by the fans who had
waited patiently for her arrival. Whisked immediately onto the stage
with the rest of the Allo Allo team, she took part in a question and
answer session, delighting the crowd with a few well chosen phrases
delivered Yvette style, before settling down to sign autographs. |
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Annual Garden Party - Heritage Foundation |
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For over twelve years now David
Graham of the Heritage Foundation, has
opened his doors (or rather garden), for
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annual garden
party in aid of charity. This year’s event took
place at Greenacres on Sunday, 9th
July with the proceeds being donated to Royal
Grammar School. As usual, a host of celebrities
attended including Vicki and
her husband, |
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Lynda Baron,
Bert Kwuok, Jack Douglas, Nicholas Parsons and
Anne Charleston. The guests were treated to a
delicious lunch and as ever, some first class
entertainment which included some close up magic
by Chris Congreave seen here. |
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Lunch with Sir Norman Wisdom |
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Once again, the stars were out in
force at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Sunday May 21st,
to mark the anniversary of Sir Norman Wisdom’s 60 years in show
business. As ever, many familiar faces joined in the celebratory lunch
including Vicki Michelle, Rick Wakeman Neil and Christine Hamilton,
Vince Hill, Burt Kwouk, Liz Frazer and John Inman to name but a few. |
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Comic Heritage - Sir John Mills - Plaque
Unveiling |
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Vicki was a guest at the
recent unveiling of a blue plaque in honour of the legendary actor Sir
John Mills last month. The accolade is one of the highest the
foundation bestows and took place at Hills House in Denham. The
unveiling was performed by Sir Cliff Richard and was followed by a
sumptuous lunch at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. A host of
famous names and friends were present at the event including:- Robert
Lindsay, Robert Powell, John Inman, Esther Rantzen, Stephanie Beacham
Sylvia Syms and Lord and Lady Archer. |
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Comic Heritage Jess Conrad 100 Years in
Showbusiness |
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Vicki joined 250 guests
at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 10th April to take part in
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the life and work of
entertainer Jess Conrad. The event was
affectionately heralded as Jess Conrad a 100
Years in Showbiz. Comedian Tom O’Conner acted as M.C with
speakers including Barry Cryer and Johnny Moore who were joined by a number of celebrity |
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friends paying tribute to
the entertainer. The occasion culminated in a
charity auction led by Harry Fowler, raising in
excess of £8000. Those present included:- Garry Bushall, Ron
Atkinson, Burt Kwouk, Karl Howman and Eastenders Emma Barton and
Laurie Brett. Vicki was accompanied by several close family members. |
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Peterborough Christmas Lights |
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Christmas officially
arrived in Peterborough on Thursday 10th November when
Vicki, along with pantomime co-star Sue Hodge, switched on the festive
lights at The Queensgate Shopping Centre. In keeping with tradition,
Vicki and Sue performed the task in full costume as Fairy Moan
(Wicked Fairy) and Fairy Nuff (Good Fairy), the characters they are
portraying in this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty at The Broadway
Theatre. The Fairies were also on hand for the opening of Santa’s
Grotto. |
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The Lady Taverners - Sailing Project |
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Vicki was on hand at the Ridgeway
Sailing club last week on behalf of the Lay Taverners in support of
the RORO Sailing Project. The Lady Tav is a new innovative Martin 16
dingy specially designed to accommodate the need of disabled sailors
of all abilities including
wheelchair bound and was originally |

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launched in October 2004 courtesy of
funding by the Lady Taverners. Affectionately
known as the Lady T, the dinghy’s main purpose
was to provide taster sailing lessons to
encourage young disabled people to take up the
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but the project has proved so
successful that all age groups have become
involved. The boat which is completely
unsinkable even when totally flooded and fitted
to accommodate wheelchairs, is also entered into
all the Martin 16 Regattas and is usually crewed
by one able-bodied and one disabled crew member
although on many occasions she has an all
disable d crew. With the Olympics coming to
London in 2012, it is essential to bring on in
particular the younger generation of sailors to
continue the great British successes stories of
recent years and Lady T will play a major part
in the preparation |
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Haven House Sibling Scheme |
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On Tuesday October 25th,
Vicki attended the launch of Haven Buddies. This is a scheme devised
by Barbara Keller, Sibling Co –ordinator for Haven House and is aimed
at the needs of the brothers and sisters of terminally ill children.
The event took place at Chigwell Health Club and following the cutting
of a cake; the children were invited to take part in a variety of
activities, such as tennis, swimming, jewellery making and beauty
treatments. The plan is to make the club visits a monthly event and to
expand the scheme to encompass a broader age range. |
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Recycling Plant Opens |
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Following her recent
performances as Maxine in the hit comedy play Stepping Out at
Lincoln’s Theatre Royal, Vicki returned to the region on 19th
October to open the new, state of the art recycling centre in
Gainsborough. Vicki was on top form as she called for the local
community to make full use of the facility. “Recycling needs to be a
way of life to us all and I am pleased to lend my support to the
recycling campaign in Lincolnshire and throughout the country,” she
said. “I am really impressed by the facilities that the site provides;
it’s a million miles from the image of the traditional tip and the rag
and bone man. The range of materials which can be separated for
recycling is remarkable.” |
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Dancing In The Street |
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Tuesday 19th July 2005 saw Vicki in London’s West End at
the Cambridge Theatre for the opening of Flying Music’s Dancing In The
Streets- Motown’s Greatest Hits. The show is a spectacular celebration
of classic music from the heart of Detroit including I Heard It On The
Grapevine, Dancing In The Streets, Stop In The Name OF Love and Tears
Of A Clown performed by an exciting and energetic young company. Also
among the invited guest celebrities were Melanie Stace, Jess Conrad,
P.J.Proby and Peter Straker. “It
is quite simply a fantastic night out”, says Vicki. “We were literally
dancing in the aisles. There was something for everyone and I
thoroughly recommend it”. |
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Romford Greyhound Owners Association |
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Sleek,
streamlined and breathtakingly fast, greyhounds provide a great deal
of excitement during their racing careers but what happens to them when they retire? In some cases the animals |

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need to be
re-homed and that is where Romford Greyhound
Owners Association comes in. On Sat 25th
June, Vicki was invited to attend a special meeting at Romford Stadium
where she was asked to hand over the retiring Go Lannahn Go to his |
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new owners on
behalf of the charity. Originally founded some
35 years ago, this was the 1000th greyhound RGOA has found a new home for
since moving to its present kennels in 1999. “It was quite a night,”
says Vicki “The charity do a wonderful job raising money and awareness
as well as finding happy homes for the dogs.” During the evening Vicki
also presented a number of trophies for sponsored races. “There was a
lot of walking involved,” she laughs. “There were quite a few races.”
Chairman of the RGOA Doug Hayes said, “It was a terrific night and Vicki was
superb, chatting to everyone and really entering into the spirit of
the occasion.” The evening also helped to raise further funds for the
charity. |
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Comic Heritage |
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Over
the years, Vicki has enjoyed a long association with Comic Heritage,
which is part of the Heritage Foundation. The Foundation’s
aim is to combine paying tribute
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wealth of talent while raising money for worthy
causes through their charity, the Arts and
Entertainment Charitable Trust. The fund raising
events include staging concerts, tribute
evenings, luncheons and |
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erecting permanent memorials in the form of Blue
Plaques. The pinnacle of the Trust’s year is in
June at the Heritages highly prestigious Annual
Awards Luncheon when today’s performers are
honoured at a star studded gala ceremony, an
event that Vicki attends on a regular basis.
Most recently, Vicki attended a lunch at The
Grosvenor House Hotel in honour of friend and
colleague John Inman. During the event there was
also an auction and sale of memorabilia with
profits being donated to Childline. |
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The Lady Taverners |
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In recent years Vicki
has become an active member of the Lady
Taverners, a fundraising branch of Lords
Taverners, crickets official charity. Lady
Taverners owes its formation to Baroness
Thatcher who posed a problem
to the all male club when she |
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became Britain’s first woman
Prime Minister. It was tradition for every Prime
Minister to be made an honorary member of Lords
Taverners but obviously this was not possible
and so Lady Taverners
was formed with
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awarded honorary title Lady
Taverner no. 1. A number of female cricketing
legends such as Rachel Heyhoe Flint and a host
of celebrity and corporate members quickly
joined her. The charity organises regular events
nationwide ranging from gala balls, dinners,
lunches, quiz nights and wine auctions to
celebrity golf days and fun runs. In September
2003, Vicki joined one such event in aid of
breast cancer. The London Flora Light Challenge
took place in Hyde Park consisting of a 5km run.
‘It was a wonderful day and the weather
was perfect,’ says Vicki. ‘We all completed the
run although in my case it was more of a gentle
jog really.’ Vicki was joined by an array of
familiar faces from the world of television and
theatre including pictured actress, comedienne
and singer Faith Brown, news presenter Angela
Rippon, former women’s England cricket captain
Rachel Heyhoe Flint and well known actresses
Lynne Miller, Liz Fraser and Sheila Steafel |
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Caravan Club |
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Once again
Vicki was among the celebrity guests at the NEC in
Birmingham last week for the National Boat Caravan and
Outdoor Show. In addition to the exhibits on show, visitors
were able to take part in a number of activities including
canoeing, climbing, archery and motor caravan manoeuvring.
Other celebrities in attendance included Cheryl Baker, Linda
Robson, Shaun Williamson, Mark Blundell, Sian Lloyd and Tim
Vincent. |
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Hello Dolly |
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Vicki travelled to
Wolverhampton this week for the opening of Hello Dolly, the
latest musical production from Chris Moreno. Vicki has
herself worked for Chris Moreno in a number of productions
including the musical Annie in which she won rave reviews as
the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. “Hello Dolly is absolutely
fabulous,” says Vicki. “It’s a great family evening out and
I would recommend it to anyone.” The opening night
attracted several famous faces from the entertainment world
including performers and producers alike. Heading the cast
were Anita Dobson and Darren Day. Following its opening, the
show embarked on an extensive UK tour. |
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Cinderella |
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Following her own box office
record breaking run as The Enchantress in Robin Hood at
Worthing’s Connaught Theatre last Christmas, Vicki returned
to the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage last Thursday in
her capacity as Patron, for a Gala performance of
Cinderella. Accompanied by her PA and friends, it was her
first visit to the theatre since appearing there as Miss
Hannigan in the musical Annie last summer. “It was wonderful
to back,” said Vicki. “The theatre has such a great
atmosphere and I always feel so at home as well as meeting
so many old friends. |
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Not only that but the
panto was fantastic, so spectacular and topical with a
great cast.” Heading the cast was Amanda Barrie as the
Fairy Godmother with Ben Nicholas as Buttons and
Vicki’s co stars from Annie, |
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Paul Laidlaw and Scott St
Martyn as the Ugly Sisters who added a special touch to the
performance by incorporating a couple of bars of the Miss
Hannigan song Easy Street from Annie in honour of the
Patron’s presence in the audience, much to Vicki’s obvious
delight.
Following the show, the cast
and Friends of the Theatre were invited to a meet and greet
party in the Corinthian Bar during which Vicki was called
upon to present a voucher on behalf of the former Gordon
Craig Theatre Club for £1,480 to the Isabel Hospice, Welwyn
Garden City. The hospice offers palliative care and support
for cancer and terminally ill patients and their families.
The voucher is to enable those in their care the chance to
visit the theatre for a performance of their choice. Vicki
was assisted in the presentation by Bob Bustance, Senior
Arts Director at the Gordon Craig. |
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Grand Order
of the Water Rats Ball |
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The 2007 Grand Order of
Water Rats Ball took place at the Grovesnor House Hotel and
once again, Vicki was present along with her husband.
Providing part of the cabaret was singer Tony Chrisite.
Queen Ratling Beryl Plummer was also present among the high
profile celebrities and eminent Members. The guests enjoyed
a marching and playing performance by the Romford Drum and
Trumpet Corps during dinner. |
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Café Lazeez |
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Vicki and her
daughter were among the guests recently at a party hosted by
Café Lazeez and Radio Taxis to launch Executive First, a
bespoke chauffeur driven luxury car service. Other celebrity
guests included Bobby Davro and Claire Sweeney. |
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Birthday
Celebrations |
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Vicki and her
daughter recently joined a number of celebrity guests
including singers Sonique and Patti Boulaye to help
celebrate the 21st and 18th birthdays of the son
and daughter of music publisher Lisa Voice. The party which
had a Moroccan theme was produced by Dickon Galloway of
Dreamscope Events. |
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Scott Wright |
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Vicki and her
family travelled to Peckforton Castle in Cheshire at the
weekend for the wedding of good friend and colleague, Scott
Wright to fiancée Kate Linsell. Scott is probably best known
for is role as Sam Kingston in the popular soap Coronation
Street .Vicki and Scott first worked together on a
nationwide tour of the Ray Cooney farce Out of Order in
2004. “It was a lovely day”, said Vicki. “A real fairytale
wedding. I’m delighted for Scott and I’m sure he and Kate
will be really happy”. |
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Unsung Hero
Awards |
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Vicki was among
the guests for The Celebrities Guild of Great Britain Unsung
Heroes Awards Presentation and Gala Evening at Claridges
Hotel in the heart of London’s Mayfair on 14th
Oct. Accompanied by her husband, she joined a host of well
known celebrities who gathered to pay tribute to and present
awards to a number of people in recognition of their
outstanding and special support given to help others. The
evening incorporated wining, dining, dancing and gambling
culminating in the presentation of the awards themselves.
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Also in
attendance were Cheryl Baker, John Altman, Ed Stewart, June
Whitfield, Hannah Gordon, Bobby Davro, Sylvia Syms, Gloria
Hunniford, Tony Blackburn, Lord & Lady Roberts-Davidson,
Ricardo Ribeiro to name but a few. |
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West Hatch
High Reunion |
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Vicki turned the clocks back
on 29th September when she returned to her former
High School to join in the celebrations for the school’s 50th
Anniversary Reunion. Over 500 ex pupils and teachers greeted
by a steel band, gathered to enjoy a buffet lunch followed
by an afternoon of gymnastic, dance, sport and music
displays. Also on view were past photographs, memory boards
and memorabilia with speakers tracing the history of the
school. Many guests flew in from as far a field as Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Vicki along with
international artist Mark Wallinger, also a former student
added their special contribution with the afternoon
culminating in an aerial photograph of everyone present and
the release of 500 balloons. Said Vicki, “I had a wonderful
time. It was actually quite emotional and I have to say, it
rates as one the best organised events I have ever attended.
I am looking forward to the 60th Reunion.” |
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Allo Allo
Reunion |
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Together again! Vicki
travelled to the Midlands on 15th September to
team up with former Allo Allo colleagues Richard Gibson, Kim
Hartman, Arthur Bostrom and Guy Siner. The reunion was the
latest of several opportunities the cast have had to get
together this year following the screening of The Return of
Allo Allo last April. “ It was a bit spur of the moment for
me,” explains Vicki. |
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“I just got a phone
call and jumped in the car. We don’t often get the
chance to all meet up because of work schedules so you
have to grab the chance when you can. We had a lot of
laughs and the odd glass of wine!” |
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Royal
Variety Club |
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Vicki was on
hand at the Champney’s Health Spa, Henlow Grange in
Bedfordshire on Sunday 9th September to collect a
cheque for £20,000 on behalf of the Royal Variety Club of
Great Britain’s Sunshine Coach Appeal. The cheque was
presented to Vicki by Mrs Dorothy Perdew and raised as a
result of a sponsored cycle along the Great Wall of China.
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Vicki
also had to step in short term to accept a further
cheque presented to Scope when Linford Christie was
unavoidably detained. Happily the delay was only brief
and he was able to join the event later in the
afternoon. |
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Caravan Club
Centenary |
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It was off to Buckingham
Palace this week for Vicki and her sisters Ann and Suzie
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