British Pathe

Various shots at the Variety Club of Great Britain's monthly luncheon; several entertainment and sporting stars are seen: Ken Dodd, the Duke of Bedford, Michael Miles, Hughie Green, Jack Warner, Terry Downes, Stirling Moss, Brian Close, David Jones, Jack Goodlatte, Kenneth Wolstenhome, Denis Howell,...

Various shots at the Variety Club of Great Britain's monthly luncheon; several entertainment and sporting stars are seen: Ken Dodd, the Duke of Bedford, Michael Miles, Hughie Green, Jack Warner, Terry Downes, Stirling Moss, Brian Close, David Jones, Jack Goodlatte, Kenneth Wolstenhome, Denis Howell, Pam Tredinnick, Harry Wheatman, C.J. Latta , Sir Billy Butlin, Dorothy Tutin, Huw Wheldon, Benny Hill, Billy Walker, Adrian Metcalfe.

We then see several shots of boxer Billy Walker with some young boys of the Youth Project in Hindleap, East Sussex; the boys take part in a tug of war, walk along ropes strung between trees and try boxing. At St. Agnes children's home in Woking; a Variety Club mobile cinema shows an old silent comedy to the children; lengthy slapstick / chase sequence from the film, intercut with the faces of the children and a nun laughing. In the Pathe Pictorial cutting room a young man sells Variety Club raffle tickets.

Lord Mountbatten sits at a desk and talks (natural sound) of how he became involved with the Variety Club. At a Variety Club Christmas luncheon, several stars are seen; Sid James kisses a nurse, Ingrid Bergman puts on a Father Christmas cape and beard, Sir Michael Redgrave appears; Charlie Drake puts presents under the tree. Ian Hendry in Father Christmas costume arrives at a children's home (?) and hands out presents to the kids.

Children are seen in a hydrotherapy pool at Great Ormond Street Hospital; the pool was financed by Variety Club. David Jacobs helps some children onto a Sunshine Coach so that they can visit their ill brothers and sisters. Millicent Martin is waiting on the coach; as they drive along (without David Jacobs) she sings, or rather mimes to her recording of 'Typically English' from the film 'Stop The World I Want To Get Off'.

Note: a brief length of spacing follows the Mountbatten speech while soundtrack carries on. On file are various pieces of correspondence about stars who were to be contacted about appearing in this story. Cuts exist - see separate record.