Budleigh Past and Present

It’s a long way in many senses from London’s East End of London to the tranquil coastal setting of Budleigh Salterton. But for thousands of fans who look back with nostalgia at the age of British sitcoms like The Rag Trade and On The Buses   the little East Devon town is making quite a name for itself. An exhibition at the local museum, free vintage bus rides and pebble art on Budleigh’s famous beach… it’s all to mark the centenary of Reg Varney, better known by many including more than 12.5K members of the On the Buses Fan Club as Cockney comic bus driver Stan Butler. There’s even a musical show in his honour, staged at the local Football Club. But  Before The Buses, as the show is called, deliberately focuses on his little-known early years when he started out as an 15-year-old self-taught pianist and singer playing in the tough environment of working men’s clubs. By pure chance one of the show’s stars, Madalaine Pe...

Above: The many faces of Reg Varney, by cartoonist SPARK  After the revised edition of Fairlynch Museum’s publication The Budleigh Salterton Railway, something rather different. Work is in progress on a souvenir booklet which will accompany next year’s centenary exhibition to mark the birth of entertainer and former Budleigh resident Reg Varney. With a Foreword by the Museum’s Patron Lord Clinton, the booklet will cover more than just the comedy actor’s successes in shows like ‘The Rag Trade’ and ‘On the Buses’.  Born in Canning Town, in London’s East End, Reg Varney first made his name as a pianist and singer in working men’s clubs and cinemas. He is seen here, aged 15, in a gypsy costume made by his sister Bella in preparation for his first public performance at the Plumstead Radical Club in south-east London. His secret ambiti...