Hovis Presley
Encyclopedia
Hovis Presley was an English poet
and stand-up comedian
from Bolton
noted for his down to earth humour.
Born as Richard Henry McFarlane, he attended Thornleigh Salesian College
, Bolton
and went on to graduate from Bradford University. He went on to have a variety of jobs and travelled widely, from labouring on German railways to teaching English in Cairo, Egypt and India. The choice of stage persona "Hovis Presley" was in itself a deft example of aspects of his work - ironic word-play, incongruously blending the expected norms of poetry with slightly surreal evocations of ordinary, and distinctively Northern English life.
Presley began writing poems and sketches as a teenager but only ventured out onto the North West
comedy circuit at the age of 29. His poem, "I Rely On You" (included in his 1993 anthology, Poetic Off Licence), was used by many couples in wedding ceremonies.
Presley often performed his poems in a live environment, running an "alternative to alternative comedy clubs" and frequently appearing on radio
with John Shuttleworth
and Mark Radcliffe
among others. He also appeared on the BBC Three
show Whine Gums, which presented many modern poets reading their work. His 1997 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show (entitled "Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Hat") was described as "an hour of great material, lovingly performed" and sold out. Presley, however, was terrified by this level of success and vanished. The shows were pulled and he was eventually found by police.
After this he concentrated on smaller scale events, outside the comedy mainstream, often working for charity. He also taught comedy to drama students at the University of Salford
, having previously taught English as a second language and general studies. He regularly helped out his students by finding them slots at local comedy nights.
He died in 2005 after a short illness brought on by a heart attack
in June 2005. A tribute night was held in his home town of Bolton on 21 November 2005. The show was held in the Albert Halls, Bolton and was attended by Johnny Vegas
, Badly Drawn Boy
, Graham Fellows
, Mark Radcliffe
, Justin Moorhouse, Bernard Wrigley
, Archie Kelly, Susan Vale, Phil Cool
, Bob Williamson, and Thick Richard.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
from Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
noted for his down to earth humour.
Born as Richard Henry McFarlane, he attended Thornleigh Salesian College
Thornleigh Salesian College
Thornleigh Salesian College is a Salesian and Catholic secondary school in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.- History :Thornleigh College was founded in 1925 by The Salesian Order of Don Bosco at the request of the Clergy of Bolton....
, Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and went on to graduate from Bradford University. He went on to have a variety of jobs and travelled widely, from labouring on German railways to teaching English in Cairo, Egypt and India. The choice of stage persona "Hovis Presley" was in itself a deft example of aspects of his work - ironic word-play, incongruously blending the expected norms of poetry with slightly surreal evocations of ordinary, and distinctively Northern English life.
Presley began writing poems and sketches as a teenager but only ventured out onto the North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
comedy circuit at the age of 29. His poem, "I Rely On You" (included in his 1993 anthology, Poetic Off Licence), was used by many couples in wedding ceremonies.
Presley often performed his poems in a live environment, running an "alternative to alternative comedy clubs" and frequently appearing on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
with John Shuttleworth
Graham Fellows
Graham David Fellows is an English comedy actor and musician, best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth and Jilted John.-Early life:...
and Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
among others. He also appeared on the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
show Whine Gums, which presented many modern poets reading their work. His 1997 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show (entitled "Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Hat") was described as "an hour of great material, lovingly performed" and sold out. Presley, however, was terrified by this level of success and vanished. The shows were pulled and he was eventually found by police.
After this he concentrated on smaller scale events, outside the comedy mainstream, often working for charity. He also taught comedy to drama students at the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
, having previously taught English as a second language and general studies. He regularly helped out his students by finding them slots at local comedy nights.
He died in 2005 after a short illness brought on by a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in June 2005. A tribute night was held in his home town of Bolton on 21 November 2005. The show was held in the Albert Halls, Bolton and was attended by Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
, Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
, Graham Fellows
Graham Fellows
Graham David Fellows is an English comedy actor and musician, best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth and Jilted John.-Early life:...
, Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
, Justin Moorhouse, Bernard Wrigley
Bernard Wrigley
Bernard Wrigley is a singer, actor and comedian. He is sometimes known by the nickname "The Bolton Bullfrog"....
, Archie Kelly, Susan Vale, Phil Cool
Phil Cool
Phil Cool is an English comedian, impressionist and musician.-Early life:Cool discovered that he had the ability to pull faces when he was at school...
, Bob Williamson, and Thick Richard.
External links
- Official Hovis Presley site
- Marissa Burgess Hovis Presley (Guardian obituary) 29 June 2005
- Toby Hadoke Hovis Presley (Independent obituary) 13 June 2005
- Hovis Presley Myspace Memoriam
- Hovis Has Left The Building (BBC Radio 4 programme)