Remembering Jimmy Jeffs
Frank Jeffs with autographed photos collected by his father Jimmy. Piece is about memories of his father Jimmy Feffs who was a local comedian.
THE work of cartoonist Frank Jeffs will already be known to many Northampton people, particularly regular readers of the Chron.
Over the years Frank, who lives in The Mounts, has made a playful poke at many aspects of county life, producing cartoons and caricatures on the town’s many well known characters.
But where did he get his clever observational skills and keen humour from?
Ask Frank and he will give one answer: his father Jimmy Jeffs.
Recently he paid tribute to Jimmy with an article in The Jester magazine, the monthly publication of The Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain, and he agreed to share some of his memories with the Chron.
So who was Jimmy Jeffs?
Although Frank always celebrates the lighter view of life through his cartoons, his father enjoyed touring Northampton’s local club scene, performing as a comedian.
A hard working man, Jimmy worked in the boot and shoe trade during the day and took on evening work at the New Theatre in Abington Street, helping the acts backstage and earning a name for himself as the “quickest dresser”.
He was even present to give the final curtain call for the New Theatre’s last performance ahead of its demolition in 1959.
Now Frank has an impressive collection of his father’s collected autographs, mainly from the 1930s and 40s, from people who were the stars of stage, film and radio at that time.
The names included actor Stanley Holloway (Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady), variety performers Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss, as well as Louis Hayward, from the film The Man In The Iron Mask.
According to Frank, his father even remembered the very early days of the theatre when it was a Hippodrome and home to a circus.
He said: “Before you had actors there it was a Hippodrome and there was a circus there. One time one of the lions was roaring and roaring, so my father gave it toffees. The lion tamer went mad as there were strings of toffee hanging from its teeth.”
As far as his own comedy was concerned, Jimmy was most influenced by Billy Bennett.
Writing in The Jester, Frank recalled: “Dad loved Billy Bennett, who gave him one of his old comedy suits to use when he performed as a local club comedian in Northampton, which I still have today.”
Jimmy’s comedy career saw him treading the boards in Northampton for more than 40 years, performing until shortly before he died in 1987, aged 85.
In an article written in The Post, in 1982, the father-of-four was reported to have said: “I was never booed and hissed off stage, but neither did I have them rolling around helpless on the floor. Let’s say I was good enough always to be asked back again.”
Many years after his death, Frank still has fond memories of growing up listening to Jimmy’s comedy.
He said: “I think he got his first moustache from Billy Bennett and I was upset when the top hat Billy Bennett gave him was stolen. He had another one but it wasn’t the same.”
One popular location which Jimmy liked to play was The Friendlies Club which was in The Mounts, Northampton. He also did a regular performance for the market traders at the 20th Century Club, to raise funds for the elderly.
Frank said: “I used to tell him gags and did a bit of writing with him.
“If I knew of any new gags I would tell them to him.
“I think his comedy really influenced my cartoons.”
Frank’s latest book focuses on 30 years caricatures and cartoons of Northampton’s Saints Rugby team. It is available, priced £10, from Kall Kwik publishers in Abington Street.
For more information log onto www.frankcartoons northampton.co.uk
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