MAX MILLER
THE CHEEKY CHAPPIE
The Max Miller Appreciation Society's
Latest News
~ FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2024~
Every Tuesday morning (when dry): 10:30 am.
Coffee and rock cakes at the Pavilion Gardens Café, Brighton hosted by past chairman John Henty. All welcome.
When Café is not open, we meet in The Red Roaster, New Road, Brighton
Thursday 23 May at 2pm (doors open 1:30pm)
The Max Miller Appreciation Society proudly presents:
Piano Playtime with John Mann (Britain's No. 1 organist, pianist - entertainer. 80 minutes of cheerful music of yesteryear. This is a Brighton Fringe 2024 event produced by the society.
Book from a Fringe box office or directly from the society. Tickets available every Tuesday morning at the Pavilion Cafe
Sunday 11 August from 2 - 5pm
The Cheeky Chappie ChariTEA Party
Pavilion Cafe, Pavilion Gardens, New Road, Brighton
Tickets will be on sale from 23 May.
Sunday 17 November
Annual dinner and cabaret at a leading Brighton hotel
More events to be arranged in due course. Watch this space!
A Home for Max
On Sunday 16 October 2022 the film A Home for Max produced by Latest TV together with the Max Miller Appreciation Society was premiered at the Latest Cabaret Bar in Manchester Street, Brighton.
The documentary seeks to establish a permanent location in the city for all the society’s archive material which has rarely been seen and deserves a wider audience.
The film has been shown on Latest TV Brighton, Talking Pictures and other networks around the country,
Alternatively, it can be seen on the internet at https://thelatest.co.uk/
PAST EVENTS
CHEEKY CHAPPIE CHARITEA PARTY 2023
The annual Cheeky Chappie ChariTea Party was held at the Pavilion Café in the Pavilion Grounds on Sunday, 13 August 2023. Surprise guest of the afternoon was Eddie Izzard who admitted that she is a Max Miller fan and regards him the father of stand-up. The sum of £1,510 was raised for the Starr Trust. To date over £30,000 was donated to various charities through these annual events.
Further photographs of the event can be viewed on the Facebook page
CONVENTION DAY Sunday, 20th. November 2022 AGM, Film Show, Luncheon and Cabaret at the Old Ship Hotel, Brighton
CHEEKY CHAPPIE CHARITEA PARTY 2022
The annual Cheeky Chappie ChariTea Party was held at the Pavilion Cafe in the Pavilion Grounds on Sunday, 14 August 2022. Its special guest was Cllr. Lizzie Deane , Mayor of the City of Brighton & Hove and her consor . The sum of £2,133 was raised for the Macmillan Horizon Centre.
CONVENTION DAY
Sunday, 21 November 2021
AGM, Film Show, Luncheon and Cabaret at the Old Ship Hotel, Brighton
STEVE HEWLETT'S LUNCH & SHOW IN EASTBOURNE 2021
On Sunday, 3rd. October, Steve invited members of the society to a lunch at the Langham Hotel in Estbourne. The three course luncheon and coffee was followed by excellent entertainment with Nina providing music and song and Steve Hewlett with Arthur Lager and friends.
During the afternoon Steve was handed a scroll investing him into the society as patron.
CHEEKY CHAPPIE CHARITEA PARTY 2021
The annual Cheeky Chappie ChariTea Party was held at the Pavilion Cafe in the Pavilion Grounds on Sunday, 15 August 2021. Its special guest was Cllr. Alan Robins , Mayor of the City of Brighton & Hove and his consort Val Cawley . The sum of £1,753 was raised for the Team Domenica. To date over £28,000 was donated to various charities through these annual events.
Steve Hewlett Patron from 2021
The Society is proud to announce that Steve Hewlett has become its newest patron. He has been an admirer and a fan of Max since childhood and remembers participating in the first unveiling of the statue. Steve is a great supporter of the Society and has produced and appeared in two variety shows for the Society (2011 and 2012).
Steve now in his 35th year in show-business, is an innovator who has breathed life into a once dying art of ventriloquism. He has several loveable characters who he calls his friends as well as a box that talks and recently, he provided the voice for the 1950s dummy Archie Andrews which he brought to the Society’s Cheeky Chappie ChariTEA Party (2012). He has performed worldwide, in major theatres, in cabaret and on cruise ships and is a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats.
In Britain’s Got Talent in 2013, Steve won the public vote to become the Wild Card Finalist in the show. He memorably surprised a certain Mr. Simon Cowell when he brought Little Simon and Little Sinitta – creating huge cheers from sitting rooms all over the UK!
Photograph of Steve with past president Roy Hudd OBE and Arthur Lager (2019)
Photograph of Steve at the ChariTEA party with Patron Michael Aspel OBE and Archie Andrews (2012)
John Fisher President from 2020
The Society is proud to have as its new president John Fisher. John is a great fan of Max Miller and has collected a wealth of Max memorabilia including an original Max Miller costume, hat and tie. He attended the last annual dinner in November 2019 which was also attended by past president Roy Hudd.
John has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in television. He produced shows as diverse as Parkinson, Wogan, The Bob Monkhouse Show, The Ken Dodd Show, Des O’Connor Tonight, The Best of Magic, This Is Your Life, The Paul Daniels Show and the definitive documentary series on British comedians, Heroes of Comedy which he wrote as well as producing. The series of course included a Max edition regarded as the best documentary on the Chappie ever made. A recognized authority on magic and magicians, he shares with Tommy Cooper the distinction of being a Gold Star member of the Magic Circle.
John wrote a number of books including A Funny Way to Be a Hero (1973). A completely new edition was published in 2013. The Times reviewer wrote, "The best book about twentieth-century British entertainers I have ever read."
~ IN MEMORANDUM ~
Wyn Calvin MBE 1925-2022
Wyn Calvin our vice-president passed away on February 2022 at the age of 96. He was billed as "The Welsh Prince of Laughter" and sometimes "The Clown Prince of Wales" but he was also acclaimed "the Laurence Olivier of pantomime dames".
Wyn attended many of the society's events and at one, acted as the MC at its annual dinners. He did not need a microphone, his booming Welsh voice was heard by everyone. He will be sadly missed.
Dame Vera Lynn 1917-2020
Dame Vera Lynn, who lived in Ditchling, East Sussex, passed-away on 18 June 2020 aged 103 surrounded by her close family. The Society sends its deepest condolences to her family
Dame Vera appeared in the revue Apple Sauce with Max which commenced on 22 August at the Holborn Empire to 9 September. Its run was curtailed due to a bomb destroying the theatre. The revue continued at the London Palladium from 5 March 1941 and ended on 29 November that year.
Roy Hudd 1936-2020
We were devastated to hear that our president, Roy Hudd OBE had passed away after a short illness on 15 March 2020.
When the Society was formed twenty years ago in Brighton, everyone agreed, there was only one man to take on the President’s role and that was ‘Our Roy’! And like everyone else too, we did regard him as “Ours”!!
We knew his enormous affection for all things music hall, his love of real stand-up comedy and his oft-stated and life-long appreciation of the Cheeky Chappie. SNAP!!
When Roy immediately accepted our invitation, it was curtain-up time for the newly formed society! A lively magazine was created. A statue was erected, charitable events flourished and we have never ever looked back!
Roy and Debbie were always there for us too at many of the colourful events. If he couldn’t make it, a hand-written verse would arrive – to be read out with glee. In that spirit, we offer this with love and respect.
There’ll Never Be Another
Of Max we know that’s true
Now Roy has gone to join him
To share a joke or two!
Dear ‘Uddy – Thanks for all the joy
You gave us through the years
We’re left with happy memories
To wipe away the tears
~ 2019 ~
125/21 ANNIVERSARY DINNER/CABARET 2019
November 21 2019 marked the 125 year of Max Miller’s birth and the 20th year of the founding of the Max Miller Appreciation Society. These events were celebrated with a special anniversary dinner and cabaret at the Paganini Room in the Old Ship Hotel, Brighton. Special guests were Roy Hudd and his wife Debbie Flitcroft, Adam Borzone chairman of the British Music Hall Society, John Fisher then Patron and the deputy mayor of the City Cllr. Dee Simpson.
Brandyn Shaw & His 'Radio' Rhythm Makers with hits of the 1920s and 30s provided the cabaret
Describe your image
CHEEKY CHAPPIE CHARITEA PARTY 2019
The Annual Cheeky Chappie ChariTea Party was held at the Pavilion Cafe in the Pavilion Grounds on Sunday, 18 August 2019. Its special guest was Cllr. Alexander Phillips, Mayor of the City of Brighton & Hove. The sum of £1,639 was raised for the Sussex Heart Charity. To date over £25,000 was donated to various charities through these annual events.
Pop-up Exhibition 2019
in the Jubilee Library, Brighton.
For a week commencing 4 November, 2019 the Society held an exhibition of memorabilia in Brighton's central library. It was a great opportunity to meet the public and spread the news of the Society's purpose.
The permanent exhibition of Max Miller memorabilia continues at Bardsley's Fish Restaurant, Baker's Street, Brighton.
Max would say, "It's all clever stuff, no rubbish!"
