George Martin (comedian)

Martin volunteered for the Royal Air Force in 1940, on his eighteenth birthday, serving as a ground crew technician in Ireland and Canada.

They successfully auditioned for Vivian Van Damm at the Windmill Theatre, London, (on the same day as fellow Aldershot entertainer Arthur English) and turned professional in showbusiness by taking a six-week season.

In shirt sleeves, accompanying himself on piano and/or accordion, Martin, with pipe and newspaper in hand, would comment and make jokes about the day's news events.

He quickly became a household name, and worked every top theatre and venue in the country, including performances at the London Palladium and Victoria Palace, supporting the likes of Frank Sinatra and Guy Mitchell.

His pantomime appearances were well received, especially as Buttons in Cinderella, and he wrote many songs for these shows such as "Baby Bear Lullaby" and "Fairy Tale Coach and Pair".

In the mid-1960s he was also the frontman for a major television advertising campaign for Courage Keg Bitter, in which he appeared in over twenty commercials as a pub landlord.

Becoming the licensee of a pub in Ash, Surrey, The Bricklayer's Arms,[1] Martin briefly considered leaving the entertainment business, but was soon lured back.

In 1986, whilst writing for a new Keith Harris BBC series, he suffered a massive stroke which robbed him of his speech and left him paralysed on his right side.

In 1992, The Water Rats produced an all star variety show in his memory, at the Churchill Theatre Bromley, the proceeds of which went to the home where he had spent his last years.