When Laurel and Hardy spent Christmas at an English pub
Witness History
BBC
4.5 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 18 December 2025
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In December 1953, Hollywood film stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy spent a few weeks at the Bull Inn, Bottesford, Leicestershire, while they performed a show at the nearby Nottingham Empire.
Stan’s sister, Olga Healey, was the landlady.
Customers and staff said the duo spent time serving behind the bar, signing autographs and chatting with regulars.
This was produced and presented by Rachel Naylor, in collaboration with BBC Archives.
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(Photo: Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 1:02.1 | I'm taking you back to when one of the world's most famous comedy double acts, |
| 1:05.7 | Laurel and Hardy, spent a Christmas in a British pub. |
| 1:08.6 | So grab yourself a pint, make yourself comfy and come join me. |
| 1:21.0 | It's December 1953 and we're at the Bull Inn in the village of Bottesford in Leicestershire, England. |
| 1:27.4 | But among the locals are two Hollywood stars, the comedian Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. They have a Christmas show running for four weeks at the nearby Nottingham Empire, and they've become frequent visitors to the pub. It was a big thing for the village, you know, to have them come. I was on my way to catch my bus, and I joined the huge crowd that was there because they were, you know, in those days, film stars were something that we'd never seen, sort of thing. There was all the schools, you know, because obviously news travelled, like, that they were due to be there. Wherever they went, there was laughter. There was laughter all around them. Both entertainers started their careers in Music Hall, Oliver or Ollie, in America, and Stan in England. |
| 2:08.8 | In 1927, they began their famous partnership, appearing in more than 100 films together that are still popular today. |
| 2:16.1 | They're known for their bowler hats and their slapstick comedy. |
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