Freddie Davies
Encyclopedia
Freddie Davies is a British comedian and actor. He is the grandson of Music Hall comedian Jack Herbert.
Freddie Davies was born in Brixton
, London
. At the start of World War II
Davies was evacuated in 1939 to Seend
in Wiltshire
and subsequently to Torquay
in Devon
and then to Salford, Manchester
in 1941. After National Service
in the Royal Army Pay Corps
Davies became a stand-up comedian, beginning his career in 1958 as a Butlins
holiday camp
Redcoat (Butlins) entertainer. He started on the cabaret circuit in 1964, when he turned professional, and he appeared on Opportunity Knocks, Sunday Night at the London Palladium
, The Des O'Connor Show, The Tom Jones Show
, The Bachelors Show
and Blackpool Night Out
. Plus many top rating television shows in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
His act featured jokes about budgies and he eventually picked up the nickname "Parrotface", largely because his appearance on Opportunity Knocks included a routine where he told of an altercation with a tiresome official where he responded to him with the line 'look here, Parrot Face'. Thereafter he capitalised on this with his jokes about budgies and the invention of his alter ego..'Samuel Tweet.. He became known as "Freddie "Parrotface" Davies", wore a black bowler hat
and became very popular with young and old alike.
From 1968 to 1971, the long-running British children's comic Buster
featured a comic strip Freddie "Parrot-Face" Davies, based upon the adventures of Freddie and his "boodgies". In 1974 he had a BBC
children's television series, The Small World of Samuel Tweet. Mr. Tweet worked in a pet shop in Chumpton Green, appearing with many animals during the series. He also appeared in a commercial for "Trill" bird seed, with the slogan, "Trill makes budgies bounce with health".
Freddie also recorded several children's albums and stories for children. The Last of the Summer Wine
actor Bill Owen wrote the lyrics to a romantic ballad called "So Lucky" which Freddie recorded and it became a hit record in Brazil
, The Philippines and South America
and Freddie received a Gold Record for sales in Brazil.
After a spell touring th U.S.A. he returned to the U.K and began an acting career appearing in Heartbeat, Casualty
, Last of the Summer Wine
, Preston Front, two series of Harbour Lights (as George Blade), Born and Bred
, Sensitive Skin
and My Family.
Freddie's films include the 1995 cult comedy classic Funny Bones
and 2004's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
.
He now runs the "Sheep Shop" on Atholl Road in Pitlochry
, Scotland
and had been involved in production of the DVD for the local Aberfeldy
and District Gaelic Choir.
Freddie Davies was born in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. At the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Davies was evacuated in 1939 to Seend
Seend
Seend is a village and civil parish about south-east of the market town of Melksham, Wiltshire. The parish includes the hamlets of Seend Cleeve, Seend Head and The Stocks.Seend village is on a hilltop more than above sea level...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and subsequently to Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and then to Salford, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1941. After National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Royal Army Pay Corps
Royal Army Pay Corps
The Royal Army Pay Corps was a former corps of the British Army responsible for administering all financial matters. It was amalgamated into the Adjutant General's Corps in 1992....
Davies became a stand-up comedian, beginning his career in 1958 as a Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
holiday camp
Holiday camp
Holiday camp, in Britain, generally refers to a resort with a boundary that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities.As distinct from camping, accommodation typically consisted of chalets – small buildings arranged either individually or in blocks. Some had three or four storeys,...
Redcoat (Butlins) entertainer. He started on the cabaret circuit in 1964, when he turned professional, and he appeared on Opportunity Knocks, Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium is a British television variety show produced by ATV for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974...
, The Des O'Connor Show, The Tom Jones Show
The Tom Jones Show
The Tom Jones Show was a syndicated television variety show hosted by Tom Jones, that aired during the 1980-1981 television season. Twenty four episodes of the show were produced. The show was produced in Vancouver, Canada. The format of the show was for Tom Jones to perform his old hits and...
, The Bachelors Show
The Bachelors
The Bachelors are a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:The founding members of the group were Conleth Cluskey , Declan Cluskey , and John Stokes...
and Blackpool Night Out
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. Plus many top rating television shows in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
His act featured jokes about budgies and he eventually picked up the nickname "Parrotface", largely because his appearance on Opportunity Knocks included a routine where he told of an altercation with a tiresome official where he responded to him with the line 'look here, Parrot Face'. Thereafter he capitalised on this with his jokes about budgies and the invention of his alter ego..'Samuel Tweet.. He became known as "Freddie "Parrotface" Davies", wore a black bowler hat
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
and became very popular with young and old alike.
From 1968 to 1971, the long-running British children's comic Buster
Buster (comic)
Buster was a long-running British comic which carried a mixture of humour and adventure strips, although the former increasingly replaced the latter...
featured a comic strip Freddie "Parrot-Face" Davies, based upon the adventures of Freddie and his "boodgies". In 1974 he had a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
children's television series, The Small World of Samuel Tweet. Mr. Tweet worked in a pet shop in Chumpton Green, appearing with many animals during the series. He also appeared in a commercial for "Trill" bird seed, with the slogan, "Trill makes budgies bounce with health".
Freddie also recorded several children's albums and stories for children. The Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
actor Bill Owen wrote the lyrics to a romantic ballad called "So Lucky" which Freddie recorded and it became a hit record in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, The Philippines and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Freddie received a Gold Record for sales in Brazil.
After a spell touring th U.S.A. he returned to the U.K and began an acting career appearing in Heartbeat, Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
, Preston Front, two series of Harbour Lights (as George Blade), Born and Bred
Born and Bred
Born and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Breds cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village...
, Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin
Sensitive skin, also known as sensate skin, is an electronic sensing skin placed on the surface of a machine such as a robotic arm. The goal of the skin is to sense important environmental parameters—such as proximity to objects, heat, moisture, and direct touch sensations...
and My Family.
Freddie's films include the 1995 cult comedy classic Funny Bones
Funny Bones
Funny Bones is a 1995 comedy-drama film from Disney's Hollywood Pictures. It was written, directed and produced by Peter Chelsom, co-produced by Simon Fields, and co-written by Peter Flannery. The music score was by John Altman and the cinematography by Eduardo Serra...
and 2004's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 8 July 1999. The novel won the 1999 Whitbread Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was short-listed for other...
.
He now runs the "Sheep Shop" on Atholl Road in Pitlochry
Pitlochry
Pitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and had been involved in production of the DVD for the local Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy may refer to the following places:*Aberfeldy, Scotland*Aberfeldy, Ontario, Canada*Aberfeldy, Saskatchewan, Canada*Aberfeldy, Victoria, Australia-Other:*Aberfeldy , an indie/chamber pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland...
and District Gaelic Choir.
