Mike Yarwood

[jimmyscoular]

One of the disadvantages of living in the United States is that British celebrities are often unknown here, and so the death of Mike Yarwood last September totally got by me. I only just noticed.

He was an enormous part of my adolescence, with his impressions of Harold Wilson and Ted Heath and Dennis Healey and so very many more. When I think back on those happy days I rank him with Eric and Ernie. He made me laugh.

RIP Mr. Yarwood.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

One of the disadvantages of living in the United States is that British celebrities are often unknown here, and so the death of Mike Yarwood last September totally got by me. I only just noticed.

He was an enormous part of my adolescence, with his impressions of Harold Wilson and Ted Heath and Dennis Healey and so very many more. When I think back on those happy days I rank him with Eric and Ernie. He made me laugh.

RIP Mr. Yarwood.

He was a funny guy

Booze got hold of him

[Moodybluebird]

I think he was lucky in that there were not that many impressionists around when he made his name. Certainly, he was not in the same league as Rory Bremner or Alistair McGowan when it came to the accuracy and variety of his impressions.

[Wash DC Blue]

One of the disadvantages of living in the United States is that British celebrities are often unknown here, and so the death of Mike Yarwood last September totally got by me. I only just noticed.

He was an enormous part of my adolescence, with his impressions of Harold Wilson and Ted Heath and Dennis Healey and so very many more. When I think back on those happy days I rank him with Eric and Ernie. He made me laugh.

RIP Mr. Yarwood.

I didn’t know that he’d passed away either.

Forgive me if I’ve asked you this before…where abouts in the US are you?

[jimmyscoular]

I didn’t know that he’d passed away either.

Forgive me if I’ve asked you this before…where abouts in the US are you?

Omaha.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Omaha.

Christ it must be cold there in the winter

[Wash DC Blue]

Omaha.

Nebraska!
Do you in enjoy it?
I’ve never been and the Great Plains kind of terrify me seeing how bleak things are even here in VA during the winter.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Council bluffs

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I think Yarwood, like many impressionists, suffered when the subjects of his best political impressions fell from power.

[jimmyscoular]

Christ it must be cold there in the winter

Warm house, warm car, warm office, warm shopping malls, warm bars, warm movie theaters. Excellent snow clearance. This is the USA, not the USSR, so it's just fine. Air conditioning everywhere in the summer, at least until Greta gets her way. No, it's all good.

[jimmyscoular]

Nebraska!
Do you in enjoy it?
I’ve never been and the Great Plains kind of terrify me seeing how bleak things are even here in VA during the winter.

Omaha's great. Wife's hometown. They've built a fine city here. Outstate in the boonies, maybe not so much.

[jimmyscoular]

Yeah, well. You've got Newport.

[jimmyscoular]

I think Yarwood, like many impressionists, suffered when the subjects of his best political impressions fell from power.

This is always the issue with impressionists. Their window of opportunity is small. They have to rake it in while they can. I'm not sure Yarwood did. He ended up in that charity home for retired entertainers, with Charlie Drake.

[NYCBlue]

Council bluffs

is in Iowa.

[Wash DC Blue]

Yeah, well. You've got Newport.

Newport is Ace.
Be nice and I’ll order some of your famous Omaha Steaks :)

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Warm house, warm car, warm office, warm shopping malls, warm bars, warm movie theaters. Excellent snow clearance. This is the USA, not the USSR, so it's just fine. Air conditioning everywhere in the summer, at least until Greta gets her way. No, it's all good.

Well as long as you are OK there's no need to worry

[SOXY BOY]

Some of the phrases, that became associated with politicians, he actually made them ,such as “silly billy” for Denis Healey. Harold Wilson made sure, he appeared on Parkinson alongside Yarwood, which was a great show. There was a documentary on C5 recently, which they’d made just before his death.

[jimmyscoular]

Some of the phrases, that became associated with politicians, he actually made them ,such as “silly billy” for Denis Healey. Harold Wilson made sure, he appeared on Parkinson alongside Yarwood, which was a great show. There was a documentary on C5 recently, which they’d made just before his death.

I read an obituary that credited Yarwood with the excellent sales that Dennis Healey's memoir "The Time of My Life" enjoyed. It was an interesting insight, and true I think. I have the book on my shelf. It was a very interesting and colourful account of a Labour Party politician who trod the well-worn path from flirtation with communism to a centrist form of democratic socialism. But for Yarwood making him so famous I don't think I would have bothered. Who reads the memoirs of chancellors of the exchequer?

[slomaj]

Agree that Mike Yarwood was one of the best however Eric and Ernie practised their 'ad libs' to death

[jimmyscoular]

Agree that Mike Yarwood was one of the best however Eric and Ernie practised their 'ad libs' to death

Yes, true. But I won't hear a word against them. Nobody wrote comedy like what they wrote.

[Bobby Dandruff]

This is always the issue with impressionists. Their window of opportunity is small. They have to rake it in while they can. I'm not sure Yarwood did. He ended up in that charity home for retired entertainers, with Charlie Drake.

And Richard O’Sullivan. In Twickenham I think.