12/05/2016
Tommy Cooper awarded an English Heritage blue plaque
Tommy Cooper joins the handful of legendary comedians to be honoured with an English Heritage Blue Plaque.
A new blue plaque to honour Tommy Cooper has been unveiled today at his home in Chiswick, west London, where he entertained fellow comedians such as Roy Hudd, Eric Sykes and Jimmy Tarbuck.
The plaque was unveiled by helium balloons, and a crowd wearing fez hats watched as Clive St James, a leading Tommy Cooper impersonator, performed some of his most famous tricks and jokes. He said "It's an honour to be here today, it is like going to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace to get a knighthood, people will want to be photographed out here".
Greg Dyke, a member of the English Heritage Blue Plaques panel unveiled the plaque. He said "Tommy was an excellent magician but his greatest trick was to make us believe he wasn't. Our blue plaque pays tribute to a man who made - and still makes - Britain laugh."
The unveiling means Cooper joins a handful of comedians to be honoured with an official London Blue Plaque, including Kenneth Williams and Tony Hancock, as well as the early 19th century clown, Joseph Grimaldi.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the English Heritage London Blue Plaques scheme.
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Blue Plaques
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