Stars gear up for awards night

The Midlands' best singers, comedians and dancers are getting ready for a glittering awards presentation night, dubbed the Oscars of the local entertainment scene.

Entertainers from around the region will perform to a packed Parkes Hall Social Club, in Parkes Hall Road, Woodsetton, on Thursday during a night of song, laughter and dance.

The star-studded night, which has been organised by the Midlands Counties Entertainment Secretaries Council, will feature the best performers in seven categories.

The artists were chosen by audiences after performing at social clubs, labour clubs, welfare clubs and British Legions in the last 12 months.

More than 250 people are expected to pack into the club and tickets for the night sold out weeks ago.

Council secretary Malcolm Edwards said the audience would be treated to fabulous night of entertainment.

"The night is to thank all the performers for all their effort, work and dedication to different clubs over the past year and present them with trophies," he said.

"In my opinion we have the best entertainers in the country here in the Midlands and the night is a chance to showcase them all in one place.

"They are all absolutely top class.

"If you go to Blackpool, you'll find many of the performers there are from the Midlands.

"I don't know why we produce so many top quality entertainers, but we just do.

"The standard of entertainment will be very high and people lucky enough to have got a ticket will have a cracking time."

Tracey Rhodes is probably the best known of all the acts, known, when she performs, as Our Trace.

The mother-of-one had been a keen amateur dramatist before being asked to prepare a 20-minute comedy slot for residents at an old people's home.

She picked up some old-fashioned clothes from a charity shop and, after going down a storm, Northern lass Our Trace was born.

The character has won Tracey 12 awards from various bodies in the past seven years. "It is my hobby, comedy is the hardest thing to do but it gives you such a buzz to make people laugh for an hour," she said.

Mr Edwards also said that although social clubs were facing testing times because of the smoking ban, he was confident they would survive.

"The smoking ban is affecting social clubs because people keep wondering in and out while the artists are singing," he said. "The good thing about social clubs is that they provide good quality family entertainment which can be enjoyed by grandparents and their grandchildren alike," he said.

"Youngsters don't seem to want to go into social clubs, but the clubs still provide a service for a good many people.

"There aren't many places where families can go out together in a nice, warm, safe environment and I think social clubs will still have a part to play in the future."