Waldini
Encyclopedia
Waldini was the stage name of Wallace (Wally) Bishop, a musician, band leader and impresario born in Cardiff
, South Wales
, in 1894. His career spanned 6 decades, each providing its own challenges that were met head on by the man known to some as The Great Waldini and to others as Cardiff's Mr Music.
During World War I he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps
in Egypt, founding the unit's Welsh Rarebits concert party
. After the war he continued his career as a cinema musician, until the "talkies" made his job redundant. He survived the Great Depression
by forming an orchestra comprising out of work musicians that played daily in Cardiff's Roath Park
. They dressed in Romany outfits and called themselves Waldini and his Gypsy Band
During WWII he was invited by Jack Hylton
on behalf of ENSA
to take his Gypsy Band to entertain the British and Commonwealth Forces at home and abroad; he later wrote of this experience in his self-published book Front Line Theatre..
After the war Waldini and his Gypsy Band appeared during the summer months at holiday resorts throughout the UK, most notably Llandudno
in North Wales
and Ilfracombe
in Devon. For the last 2 years of his life he toured with his all girl band The Fabs, entertaining troops again, but this time at army bases on the Rhine.
During his career he also found time for talent spotting and in the early 1940s gave Peter Sellers
one of his first jobs – albeit sweeping the stage at the Victoria Pavilion, Ilfracombe. Some of his singers also went on to acheve fame, in particular Maureen Evans
and Lorne Lesley (long time wife of David Dickinson
) who in 1964 topped the bill on Sunday Night at the London Palladium
.
Waldini died in St Winifred's Hospital, Cardiff on 5 January 1966.
In 1928, Waldini and his Gipsy Band appeared as an entertainment at the British Industries Fair
in Birmingham
in the West Midlands
; the backdrop to the show was the Canadian Rockies
, and the 16-piece band included his sister, Marjorie.
He also had shows at Cardiff's Roath Park Pavilion, with singing acts such as the Pereira Sisters; Waldini also signed up 14 year old "Little Joan", a talented entertainer who played the title role in Red Riding Hood at the Playhouse Theatre in Cardiff in 1933.
Being in the open air, Happy Valley was prone to the weather. Waldini negotiated a deal with the Town Council that meant that, in the event of rain, the show would relocate to the Town Hall. He sported a badge on his blazer featuring images of sun, rain and Happy Valley with the inscription I.W.T.H. – If Wet, Town Hall.
During the daytime, Waldini and his Gypsy Band would appear in the open air at the Prom Bandstand. The handbills boasted Audience Participation, Talent Spotting and Novelties, the latter referring to competitions such as knobbly knees in which male holidaymakers would roll up their trousers and ladies chosen from the audience would vote for the man with the most unsightly patellae. It was considered a privilege to win.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, in 1894. His career spanned 6 decades, each providing its own challenges that were met head on by the man known to some as The Great Waldini and to others as Cardiff's Mr Music.
During World War I he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
in Egypt, founding the unit's Welsh Rarebits concert party
Concert Party (entertainment)
A concert party, also called a Pierrot troupe, is the collective name for a group of entertainers, or Pierrots, popular in Britain during the first half of the 20th century. The variety show given by a Pierrot troupe was called a Pierrot show...
. After the war he continued his career as a cinema musician, until the "talkies" made his job redundant. He survived the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by forming an orchestra comprising out of work musicians that played daily in Cardiff's Roath Park
Roath Park
Roath Park Cardiff, Wales, is one of Cardiff's most popular parks, owned by Cardiff County Council and managed by the Parks Section. It retains a classic Victorian atmosphere and has many facilities. The park has recently been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award to recognise its high quality...
. They dressed in Romany outfits and called themselves Waldini and his Gypsy Band
During WWII he was invited by Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton was a British band leader and impresario.He was born John Greenhalgh Hilton in the Great Lever area of Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Jack learned piano to accompany him on the stage...
on behalf of ENSA
ENSA
ENSA may refer to:* ENSA, the Entertainments National Service Association* ENSA * École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées d'Oujda, an engineering school in Morocco* EC-Council Network Security Administrator...
to take his Gypsy Band to entertain the British and Commonwealth Forces at home and abroad; he later wrote of this experience in his self-published book Front Line Theatre..
After the war Waldini and his Gypsy Band appeared during the summer months at holiday resorts throughout the UK, most notably Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
in Devon. For the last 2 years of his life he toured with his all girl band The Fabs, entertaining troops again, but this time at army bases on the Rhine.
During his career he also found time for talent spotting and in the early 1940s gave Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
one of his first jobs – albeit sweeping the stage at the Victoria Pavilion, Ilfracombe. Some of his singers also went on to acheve fame, in particular Maureen Evans
Maureen Evans
Maureen Evans is a Welsh pop singer who achieved fame briefly in the 1960s.-Career:Evans career began as a singer with Waldini's Gypsy Band in the mid 1950s, mainly doing summer seasons at UK holiday resorts such as Llandudno.She released her first singles in 1958 on the Embassy Records label....
and Lorne Lesley (long time wife of David Dickinson
David Dickinson
David Dickinson is an English antiques expert, television presenter and entrepreneur.-Biography:...
) who in 1964 topped the bill on 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...
.
Waldini died in St Winifred's Hospital, Cardiff on 5 January 1966.
Between the wars
He formed his Gypsy Band in the 1920s, employing fellow out-of-work musicians, and started Cardiff's "Jazz in the Parks" movement; crowds flocked to hear these open air concerts. He also ran Sunday concerts at Cardiff's Park Hall, and the public turned up in force to hear these too.In 1928, Waldini and his Gipsy Band appeared as an entertainment at the British Industries Fair
British Industries Fair
The British Industries Fair was an important exhibition centre in Birmingham, England.The large complex of buildings were built in 1920 and were situated between Castle Bromwich Aerodrome and the railway line. For two weeks every year it was the most visited attraction in the country...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
; the backdrop to the show was the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
, and the 16-piece band included his sister, Marjorie.
He also had shows at Cardiff's Roath Park Pavilion, with singing acts such as the Pereira Sisters; Waldini also signed up 14 year old "Little Joan", a talented entertainer who played the title role in Red Riding Hood at the Playhouse Theatre in Cardiff in 1933.
Llandudno
Waldini and his Gypsy Band appeared during the summer holidays at Happy Valley in the Great Orme, Llandudno, between 1953 and 1960. There were normally 2 shows daily, a matinee and an evening performance, at which people could pay for a seat within the "iron curtain" (a low mesh fence around the perimeter of the open air theatre) or sit and watch the performance free-of charge from "Aberdeen Hill", a mound rising to the north of the site.Being in the open air, Happy Valley was prone to the weather. Waldini negotiated a deal with the Town Council that meant that, in the event of rain, the show would relocate to the Town Hall. He sported a badge on his blazer featuring images of sun, rain and Happy Valley with the inscription I.W.T.H. – If Wet, Town Hall.
Ilfracombe
Between 1961 and 1964 Waldini ran summer seasons at Ilfracombe's Victoria Pavilion, including in 1963 Joy Belles, a variety show that was claimed to be in Theatrescope and with Stereophonic sound. This was achieved by widening the stage by means of booths on either side of the auditorium in which artistes would sing and dance; a duet, say, with one singer in each booth, was truly stereophonic.During the daytime, Waldini and his Gypsy Band would appear in the open air at the Prom Bandstand. The handbills boasted Audience Participation, Talent Spotting and Novelties, the latter referring to competitions such as knobbly knees in which male holidaymakers would roll up their trousers and ladies chosen from the audience would vote for the man with the most unsightly patellae. It was considered a privilege to win.