An inspiration....Sir Harry Secombe

Sir Harry Secombe Born 8th of September 1921, Harry Secombe grew up at number 7 St. Leger Crescent, St. Thomas, Swansea. His favourite childhood time was at Swansea market. He knew as a child he wanted to be a star. Sir Harry Secombe was a singer, actor, author, and a comedian. Harry Secombe’s first job was a pay clerk at Baldwin’s limited on Wind Street, Swansea. He joined Swansea Territorial Army at the age of 21. After the Army, Sir Harry Secombe joined London’s West End Windmill Theatre where he met his wife-to-be, Myra Atherton. They married in Sketty in 1948. Singing was always very important to Sir Harry Secombe. He appeared in many stage musicals, he also appeared as Mr Bumble in Lionel Bart’s film Oliver, in 1968. Actively involved with charities and fundraising, he was awarded the C.B.E in 1963 and was knighted in 1981. Sir Harry Secombe sadly died in hospital of prostate cancer April 11th 2001 aged 79. Sir Harry Secombe was an inspiration for us all. His infectious laugh and schoolboy sense of humour instantly endured him to a generation of fans. Some of his singles included: • On the Motley (1955) • Bless this House (1960) • If I ruled the World (1963) • This is my Song (1967) He had many albums, books, a radio and TV series. He was also in films such as Oliver, Let’s Go Crazy and many others. The Harry Secombe Trust was set up in 2002 in memory of Sir Harry Secombe. The Trust was set up by Louise Cohen and Robert Francais-Davies. The Trust was set up with the intention of providing the youth of Swansea and the surrounding areas the opportunity to receive the benefits of qualified tuition in Musical Theatre and to further themselves in the Performing Arts. The group has 120 pupils aged 6 to 12 years (the juniors) and 13 to 21 years of age (the seniors). Previous performances, performed at Swansea grand Theatre include: Singing in the Rain, My Fair Lady, Bugsy Malone, We Will Rock You, Wizard of Oz, Summer Holiday, Billy Elliot, and West Side Story.