I have the greatest of pleasure in constructing this page, although it is over 40 years since
the untimely death of George Formby we can boast of the closest of connections with the
Formby family through the friendship of George's younger brother Ted.
Ted has been associated with the Society since he was approached some years ago when
the Society needed permission to authorise some restoration work to the Formby monument
in Warrington's Manchester Road Cemetery.
From this contact first been made, a warm relationship has developed and Ted and his wife
Win are usually to be found at the Blackpool conventions at the Winter Gardens.
Always a very approachable man, Ted has lived a extremely interesting life himself although
he has never appeared on stage (unlike his sisters and brothers who all 'trod the boards' in
some way or other).
As a young man Ted worked within the entertainment business for a company involved in
booking artists. He soon made contact therefore, with all the stars of the 30's and 40's
including all the major singers and band leaders of the era.
Ted is now in his eighties but is quite fit and is a pleasure to be with. When you are near to
Ted you definitely get the sense of George Formby. Ted is the same height and weight and
shares the same Formby profile and also, he has George's clear blue eyes.
It is always a pleasure to see him at the Blackpool conventions and to spend a little time in
his company - one of nature's gentlemen.
Peter Pollard
One of nature’s gentlemen
A round of applause goes up in the Savoy
Hotel on Blackpool seafront.
The big hand is for the most popular
man in the conference room.- Ted Formby,
the former milkman who vowed 60 years
ago that he would never live in his
brother's shadow.
And he didn't. Until five years ago that
is, when he was persuaded to leave his
home near Oxford to attend one of the
meetings of his brother's world-wide
appreciation society.
Now 83-year old Ted admits he has
become a bit of a star himself. "Well not
exactly a star. But I sign a lot of
autographs. I hope George would have
been proud of me, I certainly am of him.
During the break in the extravaganza of
nostalgic ukulele playing Ted, his wife Win
by his side said, "Over the years all sorts
of stories have been told about George
and Beryl, many rubbish. That's what
happens when you're a really big star,
people get jealous."
Ted is the special guest at the 40th
anniversary of the appreciation society,
formed in 1961, the year George died
aged 56. "He would have been 96 now",
muses Ted, 14 years younger than his
brother. "In fact, he always loved Wigan
and I was the only one of the seven
children not born there in Westminster
Street near the old Central Park". "He
trained as a jockey, but when my famous
father died, my mother was distraught
and insisted George follow in his footsteps
to keep the show business part of the
name alive.
"Eliza was a very strong woman. She
had to be, being left with all us kids at
just 39. When being a comic named
George Hoy Booth (mother's maiden
names) didn't work, she hatched a new
plan - to make him the new George
Formby. It worked".
At 14 Ted followed George to London
and became a theatrical agent, but the
Second World War intervened and things
were very different when fighting finished.
While George was topping the bill and
earning a fortune, Ted suffered ill health
and after giving up a cinema manager's
job he worked out of doors on the land
and then became a milkman.
All the while he never lost touch with
George.
Ted when on, "I never told people I was
George's brother. I wanted people to like
me for myself. But I watched George
become a great star. "His wife Beryl was
his great strength. Yes, she was branded
a bully, but every great man needs a
woman to shield him. It was the same
with mum and dad."
"And George wasn't gormless. He was a
lovely chap who entertained millions and
never became big-headed.
"But ill health took its toll and George
began to fall from his top rank status. His
first heart attack was at 50 - and it taught
me a lesson, I stopped smoking.
Beryl died of cancer on Christmas Day
1960 and George was left totally adrift.
Speaking of his brother's sudden
engagement to a garage owners daughter
just weeks later Ted said, "I'll be honest. I
never understood why he did it and I
don't think the marriage would have come
off.
"In hospital and days before he died, he
told mother that he had been carried off
on a wave of publicity and there was no
going back. "Mother said he sounded like
a little boy talking. George told her that
he didn't think the engagement would
come to anything".
And so Ted, with his legend of a brother
- convinced that the name of George
Formby will live for many years. A tribute
to Ted came from Dennis Taylor, president
of the appreciation society. "We first met
when he gave his permission to improve
George's grave which had become a bit
tatty. We knew he never traded on his
brother's name. Now he is an important
part of our organisation. "I suppose he's
become a bit of a star in his own right."
This article is reproduced with the kind
permission of author, Geoffrey
Shryhane
Wigan Observer
I have the greatest of
pleasure in constructing
this page, although it is
over 40 years since the
untimely death of George
Formby we can boast of
the closest of connections
with the Formby family
through the friendship of
George's younger brother
Ted.
Ted has been associated
with the Society since he
was approached some
years ago when the
Society needed
permission to authorise
some restoration work to
the Formby monument in
Warrington's Manchester
Road Cemetery.
From this contact first
been made, a warm
relationship has
developed and Ted and
his wife Win are usually
to be found at the
Blackpool conventions at
the Winter Gardens.
Always a very
approachable man, Ted
has lived a extremely
interesting life himself
although he has never
appeared on stage
(unlike his sisters and
brothers who all 'trod the
boards' in some way or
other).
As a young man Ted
worked within the
entertainment business
for a company involved in
booking artists. He soon
made contact therefore,
with all the stars of the
30's and 40's including all
the major singers and
band leaders of the era.
Ted is now in his eighties
but is quite fit and is a
pleasure to be with.
When you are near to Ted
you definitely get the
sense of George Formby.
Ted is the same height and weight and shares the same Formby profile
and also, he has George's clear blue eyes.
It is always a pleasure to see him at the Blackpool conventions and to
spend a little time in his company - one of nature's gentlemen.
Peter Pollard
One of nature’s
gentlemen
A round of applause goes up in the Savoy Hotel on Blackpool
seafront.
The big hand is for the most popular man in the conference room.-
Ted Formby, the former milkman who vowed 60 years ago that he
would never live in his brother's shadow.
And he didn't. Until five years ago that is, when he was persuaded to
leave his home near Oxford to attend one of the meetings of his
brother's world-wide appreciation society.
Now 83-year old Ted admits he has become a bit of a star himself.
"Well not exactly a star. But I sign a lot of autographs. I hope George
would have been proud of me, I certainly am of him.
During the break in the extravaganza of nostalgic ukulele playing
Ted, his wife Win by his side said, "Over the years all sorts of stories
have been told about George and Beryl, many rubbish. That's what
happens when you're a really big star, people get jealous."
Ted is the special guest at the 40th anniversary of the appreciation
society, formed in 1961, the year George died aged 56. "He would
have been 96 now", muses Ted, 14 years younger than his brother.
"In fact, he always loved Wigan and I was the only one of the seven
children not born there in Westminster Street near the old Central
Park". "He trained as a jockey, but when my famous father died, my
mother was distraught and insisted George follow in his footsteps to
keep the show business part of the name alive.
"Eliza was a very strong woman. She had to be, being left with all us
kids at just 39. When being a comic named George Hoy Booth
(mother's maiden names) didn't work, she hatched a new plan - to
make him the new George Formby. It worked".
At 14 Ted followed George to London and became a theatrical agent,
but the Second World War intervened and things were very different
when fighting finished. While George was topping the bill and earning
a fortune, Ted suffered ill health and after giving up a cinema
manager's job he worked out of doors on the land and then became a
milkman.
All the while he never lost touch with George.
Ted when on, "I never told people I was George's brother. I wanted
people to like me for myself. But I watched George become a great
star. "His wife Beryl was his great strength. Yes, she was branded a
bully, but every great man needs a woman to shield him. It was the
same with mum and dad."
"And George wasn't gormless. He was a lovely chap who entertained
millions and never became big-headed.
"But ill health took its toll and George began to fall from his top rank
status. His first heart attack was at 50 - and it taught me a lesson, I
stopped smoking.
Beryl died of cancer on Christmas Day 1960 and George was left
totally adrift. Speaking of his brother's sudden engagement to a
garage owners daughter just weeks later Ted said, "I'll be honest. I
never understood why he did it and I don't think the marriage would
have come off.
"In hospital and days before he died, he told mother that he had
been carried off on a wave of publicity and there was no going back.
"Mother said he sounded like a little boy talking. George told her that
he didn't think the engagement would come to anything".
And so Ted, with his legend of a brother - convinced that the name
of George Formby will live for many years. A tribute to Ted came from
Dennis Taylor, president of the appreciation society. "We first met
when he gave his permission to improve George's grave which had
become a bit tatty. We knew he never traded on his brother's name.
Now he is an important part of our organisation. "I suppose he's
become a bit of a star in his own right."
This article is reproduced with the kind permission of author,
Geoffrey Shryhane
wIGAN oBSERVER
