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Quiz about The Life and Works of Les Dawson

The Life and Works of Les Dawson Quiz

Les was one of the UK's best loved comics. This quiz will explore both his life and his career. It will also include questions about people who appeared with him.

A multiple-choice quiz by romeomikegolf. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
romeomikegolf

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
271,496

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
611

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Coachpete1 (10/10), Guest 73 (4/10), Guest 78 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Les was born on the 2nd of February. In which district, of which city, was he raised? Hint

Mosside, Liverpool

Congleton, Cheshire

Camforth, Lancaster

Collyhurst, Manchester

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. After National Service, Les left the Army and became a boxer.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Les's career finally took off after he won a TV talent show in 1967. Which show was it? Hint

New Faces

Britains Best Comic

The Comedians

Opportunity Knocks

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Les took over the compering of a TV game show from another well known name. Which show did he host? Hint

Blankety Blank

Celebrity Squares

The Generation Game

Bullseye

5. In many of Les's shows there were sketches of two women talking, usually over the garden fence. Les, was of course, one. Roy Barraclough was the other. We knew them as Cissie and Ada. What were their surnames? Hint

Arkwrite and Ramsbottom

Milburn and Simmonite

Updyke and Fellbottom

Braithwaite and Shufflebottom

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. In many of Les's BBC shows there was a dance troupe called the Roly Polys. There was one dancer in particular that featured 'heavily' in each routine. Her name was Mo, but how was she billed? Hint

Mo The Mountainn

Mo The Magnificent

Mighty Mo

The Mighty Atom

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Les married twice in his life. His second wife, Tracy, is probably the better known of the two, due to the publicity surrounding their marriage. Tracy was much younger than Les. What was the name of his first wife? Hint

Ada

Evelyn

Cissie

Margaret

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Les was well-known for being able to pull funny faces, usually during one of his routines. The reason for this is that in his younger days, his jaw was broken. What was the cause of the injury? Hint

Car accident

His mother in law

Assault

Boxing match

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Les had a great love of language. We can see this in many of his sketch's. He used words that the vast majority of English speaking people wouldn't ever use. He also wrote many books. Which of the listed titles is his first autobiography? Hint

Les Dawson Gives Up

No Tears for a Clown

A Clown Too Many

Card for the Clubs

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Les seemed to be with those of us of a certain age, for most of our lives. Like most of the 'great' comics he left us too soon. In which year did Les finally go to that 'great gig in the sky'? Hint

1990

1993

1995

1989

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 26 2024 : Coachpete1: 10/10
Dec 23 2024 : Guest 73: 4/10
Dec 23 2024 : Guest 78: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Les was born on the 2nd of February. In which district, of which city, was he raised?

Answer: Collyhurst, Manchester

He was born Leslie Dawson in the Collyhurst district of Manchester. There is some doubt as to his exact year of birth. Some sources say it was 1931, others claim it was 1934.

2. After National Service, Les left the Army and became a boxer.

Answer: False

In reality, because he had written a short story, and had it published, he moved to Paris to be a writer. What actually happened was that he played piano in a brothel. For weeks he thought it was a cabaret club.

3. Les's career finally took off after he won a TV talent show in 1967. Which show was it?

Answer: Opportunity Knocks

Les won 'Opportunity Knocks' and never looked back. His deadpan style of delivery, and his jokes about his wife and mother-in-law were a constant for the rest of his career. 'New Faces' came much later, 'The Comedians' wasn't a game show and 'Britains' Best Comic' never existed.

4. Les took over the compering of a TV game show from another well known name. Which show did he host?

Answer: Blankety Blank

Les took over the show from Terry Wogan and hosted the show from 1984 until 1990. 'Blankety Blank' was well-known for the tackiness of its prizes. Most people went on the ubiquitous 'Blankety Blank Cheque Book an Pen'

Answer: Braithwaite and Shufflebottom

Roy Barraclough played the part of Cissie Braithwaite and often corrected Ada's 'malapropisms'. Ada always got the words wrong, for instance, instead of saying 'she had an hysterectomy', she would say ' she had a hysterical rectomy'.

These characters were based on real people that Les had encountered during his childhood. He said that their mouthing of the words was from mill workers not being able to hear each other speak because of the noise. Roy went on to find further fame in 'Coronation Street'.

6. In many of Les's BBC shows there was a dance troupe called the Roly Polys. There was one dancer in particular that featured 'heavily' in each routine. Her name was Mo, but how was she billed?

Answer: The Mighty Atom

The Roly Polys were, what can only be described as, a big dance troupe. They were a bit like the Tiller Girls, but several stones heavier. Despite their 'larger' size they performed some very good dance routines. Les and Mo worked together for over 20 years and still does after dinner talks with Les's widow, Tracy.

Answer: Margaret

There is very little information about Margaret in the public domain. We do know, however, that she passed away on April 15th 1986 due to cancer. Les and Meg had three children, Julie, Pamela and Stuart. Les married Tracy three years later, and in 1992 they had a daughter, Charlotte.

Answer: Boxing match

Again, there is little documentation to point to when this incident happened. Because of his National Service, we can only assume that it happened during this time, or possibly, just before.

Answer: A Clown Too Many

'A Clown Too Many' was published in 1986. Ironically, the same year that his first wife, Margaret, passed away.

Answer: 1993

Les left us in June 1993. He finally passed away due to a heart attack. I cannot finish this quiz without one of his jokes. This is taken from his official website.
This site is run by his widow Tracy.

'The Wife's mother has been married three times. Her first two died through eating poisoned mushrooms. The third one died with an arrow in his back.
I said to her "How terrible! how come he was killed by an arrow?" -- She said "Because he wouldn't eat the bloody mushrooms"

Les, you gave us much to smile about. We miss you.

Source: Author romeomikegolf

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor JuniorTheJaws before going online.
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