The Little Waster

When I was growing up we always got the Sunday Sun newspaper which covers the North East of England as well as the Carlisle area where I lived. I always remember reading about this comedian, Bobby Thompson, who seemed to never do any shows outside of a 15 mile radius of Sunderland. The Sunday Sun never seemed tire of telling of how Bobby used to rule the working mens clubs of the north east, week in and week out I would read of how Bobby was killing them in the clubs, but I never got to hear the man on the TV or the Radio, which I always found quite strange.

Famous for his broad Mackem (Wearside, or more specifically Sunderland dialect) accent, self-deprecating humour and mastery of the mother-in-law joke, Thompson was affectionately known as The Little Waster due to his short stature, which he often played upon his act, describing himself as "Little Bobby". His most famous outfit was a worn out stripey jumper (Wooly gansey) and flat cap. His ever-present Woodbine cigarette stub, hanging from the corner of his mouth, was also an integral part of his on-stage persona.

Bobby's attempts to move beyond North East of England were limited by his accent and the regional bias of his humour. He was also renowned for his problems with the tax man, stemming from the fact that he never seemed to pay any. This was an unfortunate fact that he turned to humour in his stage act. Problems with drink, finances and his health affected his career in the 1970s, but he remained a North East favourite, particularly on the club scene, until shortly before his death in 1988.

Thanks to YouTube, all of us can now enjoy Bobby Thompson, though you may not understand him !