Brinsworth House for Retired Actors

what a beautifull place to live, i use to work on top of the pops manchester, and i use to see lots of many bands beatles stones etc, but never been in brinsworth house i would love to meet the staff and actors just to thank them for all the pleasure and joy they have given me over the years watching them on tv and live shows, i send all my love and hugs to them all. happy new year everyone. xxxxxxx wynn seel

I think this is a lovely home for all retired actors. I would love to be able to visit and speak to many of them what a Joy that would be.
Please Email me if there is any way I could???

How unfunny and unpleasant. Do you actually know any of the people you are ridiculing? No Dennis Nordern is not there either. Its actually a very warm and well run care home that happens to be funded by the EABF and looks after a number of elderly entertainment artists and their dependents extremely well and with a lot of compassion and kindness. We should all be so lucky. The staff are extremely dedicated and do not carry spotlights.

From the moment the opening credits finish rolling, the Brinsworth House for Retired Actors really kicks in to life. Legend has it that the home was built on the resting place of medieval thespian Wodrey Snyde, who of course, was the first person to successfully complete the three-​week long German play ‘Haben Sie eine Banane’ (the harrowing tale of a young peasant boy called Karl Heinz Rummenigge who seeks honour via fruit retail). Having such a bedrock, it isn’t surprising that Brinsworth House ended up as a place for dying actors but as the old adage goes It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings!, or in the case of this establishment, Bella Emberg who has been singing non-​stop here for the past 2 and a half years under the watchful eye of nervous residents such as Prunella Scales, Betty Driver and Dennis Norden. Of course, being actor-​filled, the anecdotes come thick-​and-​fast and repeatedly. Richard O’Sullivan is a fixture here and, thanks to the decay of his mind, can be found in the ‘Toby Mild’ room telling one of two stories about Yootha Joyce over and over again to his own reflection. Wednesday sees ‘Repeats Club’, where residents take it in turns to perform episodes of sitcoms they starred in in their entirety solo. Residents are constantly reminded of the high water mark set by Norman Wisdom last year as he performed the whole of ‘What’s Good For The Goose’, including the infamous scene which featured psychedelic beat-​group, The Pretty Things. Apparently, Wisdom mounted a swing whilst wearing a hippie wig and proceeded to kiss himself whilst doing an impression of a fuzz guitar, reeking of cheap whiskey. In summer, residents are invited to hold a reception in honour of the Members of the Grand Order of Water Rats, who helped to establish this society. Fist-​fights often break out amongst those who live there as they all vie for the attention of the nurses who are each required to carry small spotlights so that each resident still ‘feels like a star’. In addition to this, the carers also have a ‘Drugs Bust’, which sees them donning police uniforms (from the relevant period to the artistes most intense period of fame) and bursting into living quarters and demanding to know where the drugs are concealed. This enables residents to still have a feeling of superstardom. Brinsworth House is noted for being one of the most ecologically sound places in Europe as all electrical devices are powered purely by nostalgia and anecdotes.

Many stars have ended up alone and in retirement homes. Hilda Baker was one .
The Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund was founded in
1908. Brinsworth House was opened in 1911 to care for
members of what was then the variety and music hall
profession.
This is one of the entertainment industries most exclusive
retirement homes for a bit of old star spotting.
This brown-​brick building sits back off a main road, belying
the fact that it is actually set within an acre of land.
It was the last home of such notable entertainers as Dame
Thora Hird, Alan Fluff Freeman and Charlie Drake.
One of Brinsworth’s last residents was Emily Perry, known as
Pat, who is better still famed for portraying Madge Allsop,
bridesmaid and long-​suffering best friend of Dame Edna
Everage.
She made 100 years old I believe.
The rooms are named after famous people who pay a
sponsorship fee to have titles such as The Norman Wisdom
Room or The Brian Conley Room painted on doors.
Staying at Brinsworth costs about £600 per week for a
residential room and £750 for nursing care.
In addition to caring for the 32 residents of Brinsworth
House, the Fund also provides financial help for 300 or so
beneficiaries who are residing in their own homes.
The place costs £1.25m a year to run, and funding comes from several sources, most famously the Royal Variety
Performance, for which Brinsworth House acts as the box
office.