I’ve been doing some research into a British family of jugglers and in addition to discovering some family tree and other information, I’ve also found a few photos and some video footage.
Winston Foxwell was born on September 29, 1914 in Pontypool, Wales, UK. He died on January 16, 1991 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, UK.
He was a versatile ventriloquist and comedy juggler with quite a history. At one time he showed great promise as a footballer and attracted the attention of the Aston Villa Club who, after giving him a trial, signed him as a professional. Misfortune overtook him however, when a cartilage operation compelled him to give up the game. He started working in a factory but decided to give it up and concentrate on building a stage act. After eight months of preparing, he entered and won the Orr Challenge Shield in 1938 at the Five-Star talent competition, held at The Rialto Cinema, Coventry, UK. Winston mainly performed in The Midlands and The North of England and he's been billed as the following: Comedian Ventriloquist; Comedian; Musical Comedy Juggler. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was advertised as Winston Foxwell but in the 1960s and 1970s, he was advertised as Wyn Foxwell. Winston and his son, Paul (born 1941) performed together in a juggling show with comedy and ventriloquism as early as 1955.
Winston Foxwell was born on September 29, 1914 in Pontypool, Wales, UK. He died on January 16, 1991 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, UK.
He was a versatile ventriloquist and comedy juggler with quite a history. At one time he showed great promise as a footballer and attracted the attention of the Aston Villa Club who, after giving him a trial, signed him as a professional. Misfortune overtook him however, when a cartilage operation compelled him to give up the game. He started working in a factory but decided to give it up and concentrate on building a stage act. After eight months of preparing, he entered and won the Orr Challenge Shield in 1938 at the Five-Star talent competition, held at The Rialto Cinema, Coventry, UK. Winston mainly performed in The Midlands and The North of England and he's been billed as the following: Comedian Ventriloquist; Comedian; Musical Comedy Juggler. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was advertised as Winston Foxwell but in the 1960s and 1970s, he was advertised as Wyn Foxwell. Winston and his son, Paul (born 1941) performed together in a juggling show with comedy and ventriloquism as early as 1955.
Winston Foxwell poster in 1957. His tagline was – Giving Vent To Juggling.
Paul Foxwell used the stage name, Paul Fox and he juggled in a film called, The Password is Courage with Dirk Bogarde in 1962.
The clip is literally three seconds long and we briefly see Paul juggling five clubs on stage. I’ve watched it in slow motion and it appears that he’s using single spins, before dropping them and being booed by the audience who also throw things at him. If you blink, you’ll miss it!
The clip is literally three seconds long and we briefly see Paul juggling five clubs on stage. I’ve watched it in slow motion and it appears that he’s using single spins, before dropping them and being booed by the audience who also throw things at him. If you blink, you’ll miss it!
I've also been trying to find a TV short from 1964 called, Jugglers and Acrobats. It was made especially to accompany the Beatles Film, ‘A Hard Day's Night’ taking a look at the arts of juggling, acrobatics and spinning plates with some of the last jugglers and acrobats from the Variety Circuit. Apparently it's been on YouTube before but I can't find it, which is a huge shame as it features several great artists. After a bit of digging though, I have found these three videos on Getty Images, which feature Paul Fox, his wife, Anne and his father, Winston, all juggling and passing clubs. On one of the videos, we see Paul Fox juggling five clubs using single spins. This is the earliest record on film that is known by the juggling historian, David Cain. Don't forget, he dropped them in the film made two years earlier, so this is the first successful attempt on film.
Paul Fox and Anne had a successful appearance on Opportunity Knocks in 1972 (though I can’t find any video).
Here’s a video of Paul Fox juggling on The Sooty Show in 1980.
Idris Donald Foxwell was born in Pontypool, Wales, UK on February 4, 1928. His mother was Edith Maud Luce (1904-1948). His father was Henry Hector Foxwell (1900-1970).
Idris Donald Foxwell married Beryl Johnston (1933-2016) in 1953 and they performed a juggling act for over twenty years as Idris & Belle.
Idris Donald Foxwell married Beryl Johnston (1933-2016) in 1953 and they performed a juggling act for over twenty years as Idris & Belle.
Idris & Belle in 1951 poster.
A judge at Westminster County Court on Tuesday, gave judgment for £46 15s. and costs to Idris Donald Foxwell and his wife, Mrs. Beryl Foxwell, the jugglers known as ldris and Belle, of Foxglove Close. Holbrooks, Coventry. Cabaret, Ltd., of Upper John-street. W., proprietors of Murrays Cabaret Club. The Foxwells were engaged to appear at the club for a fortnight last September, but after appearing on two nights were not allowed to appear on the third owing to the omission of a spot under ultra-violet lighting.
(The Stage Newspaper in February 1955).
This amount is approximately £1100 in today’s money!
This amount is approximately £1100 in today’s money!
Idris Donald Foxwell decided to take to the stage after seeing a juggler at the old Coventry Hippodrome, where he was a Monday regular. His interest grew and he was soon appearing in concerts at his school, Holbrook Lane. Later, came small concert engagements until he was called into the A.A.F. in 1946. It was in 1948 that he “took the plunge” and became a professional, appearing at an Isle of Man holiday camp. Belle, Idris's wife, joined the act about four years ago. They met in 1951 at the Theatre Royal, Stockport all because Idris made an error in his juggling act. A ball slipped from his hand and ran off the stage. Belle, sitting in the front row, caught it and returned it to him. “I couldn't do a thing right for the rest of the act,” he said. They at once became friends and were married two years later, but even before this Idris had begun to teach Belle something of the juggler's craft. This has been their first engagement at the Coventry Theatre. They stayed during the week with Idris's father, Mr. Harry Foxwell at 22, Foxglove Close, Holbrooks. (Coventry Evening Telegraph in September 1958).
IDRIS and BELLE Novel Speciality.
Skegness News in August 1959.
Skegness News in August 1959.
IDRIS & BELLE international juggling act.
Dalkeith Advertiser in July 1972.
Dalkeith Advertiser in July 1972.
Paul Fox is also the cousin of comedy juggler, Eddie Idris who appeared inS3 E18 of New Faces in 1975.(I can’t find the video).
I’m fairly sure that Eddie Idris, also know as The Mad Hatter, was the son of Idris and Belle.
Eddie, who wore a ten-gallon hat, received the highest marks from the judging panel for a speciality act since New Faces began. Following his appearance he had a number of summer season offers including the New Faces Summer Show in Morecambe, but he was already fully committed for the summer season to Pontin’s Holiday Camps, so he was unable to take up the wonderful booking offers. (Photo also included in link below).
Eddie, who wore a ten-gallon hat, received the highest marks from the judging panel for a speciality act since New Faces began. Following his appearance he had a number of summer season offers including the New Faces Summer Show in Morecambe, but he was already fully committed for the summer season to Pontin’s Holiday Camps, so he was unable to take up the wonderful booking offers. (Photo also included in link below).
The last entry that I could find on the British Newspaper Archive for Eddie Idris was in October 2003.
