Grotbags in her classic pose, ...complete with her Bazazzer.
Carol Lee Scott just gets off the phone with Emu, after maybe a successful
interview for the role of Grotbags? Rod looks very excited indeed!
Actually, the real story of how the character of Grotbags came about is detailed
below, but first, lets discover more about Carol Lee Scott herself.
The inscription reads:
"To Carole, with lots of love, Roddy xx"
It is highly likely that this picture was signed for Carol, long before the Grotbags character was even created, when Carol used to support Rod on tour..
Carol was born Carol Waterman, in Bridgwater, Somerset, on 20th December 1942, daughter of Scott Waterman (garage proprietor) and his wife Gladys, (affectionately known as 'Babe'), who ran the local cafe in Spaxton.
However, many of her showbusiness friends believed that her birthday was the 19th December as that was what she used to tell everybody. Certainly, that was what she told me (Paddy Kane) when I first met Carol in 1987, when I was cast as Muddles in my first Pantomime with Grotbags (Snow White) at what was then the Camberley Civic Hall, now re christened Camberley Theatre.
As a child, Carol learned to play the piano by ear and loved to sing and by the age of 15 was lead singer in her own band. After leaving school (Bridgwater Grammar School) she develpoped her act further and moved to London in search of fame and fortune.
She got a job working in the record department of Rumbelows duriing the day and working the clubs in London at night. Sometimes performing in three different clubs in one evening. She also went to work at Pontins as a Bluecoat and spent 19 years touring the holiday club circuit, with appearances in Scandinavia, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
In 1974 she recorded an album 'In Time' - to sell at her cabaret shows. Two of those tracks, 'That Little Bit of Love' & 'You Gotta Believe', were re released as singles in 2005 by Licorice Soul records. There is an interesting article about this in her local paper Bridgwater Times, 28th May 2005.
It was while working in London that she met her husband to be - Bill Ling, and they married in 1967. Bill passed away at the age of 80, 28th Feb 2013.
>> Fun Facts:
19?? - Won two heats of Opportunity Knocks.
1991 - Voted top comedy act - Malta.
1992 - Voted top comedy act - Scandinavia.
Carol became a very sucessful cabaret artiste in her own right and had also toured with and supported big houshold names in summer seasons nationwide, including: Arthur Askey, Morecambe & Wise, Tommy Cooper, Little & Large, Norman Wisdom & Freddie Starr to name just a few.
> Extract from The Guardian Obituary for Carol Lee Scott - who died of stomach cancer 4th July 2017:
"The origins of Grotbags went back to Scott’s time in a summer season in Cleethorpes on the same bill as Hull, who had been commissioned by ITV to make a new series and offered her a part. “I had this idea for a fat fairy character who kept casting spells that always went wrong,” she recalled. “Rod really liked the idea of a witch, so I said that she had to be a silly witch rather than a sinister witch. A great friend of ours … always used to call me ‘Miss Grot’, so I suggested that to Rod. He went away and came back the next day with ‘Grotbags’.”
Here is a fabulous full page article from TV Times 1991 re how Carol transforms into Grotbags. Produced by Central Independant Television.
As mentioned above, I first met Carol in 1987. That year, on New Years Eve, we had just one Pantomime matinee show to do and Carol had another evening gig booked, at Pontins in Camber Sands. She said she liked what I did in the show re my own little magic/juggling spot and the song sheet singalong business with the children on stage before the show finale, so, would I like to do a ten minute slot in her Camber Sands show?... I obviously said 'Oh Yes I will'...very quckly!
And she said that we would just take one car (to save on additional petrol costs) so there was I, on New Years Eve, turning up again at Camber Sands, where I had been a Pontins Bluecoat myself (some six years earlier) but now returning as a better paid professional cabaret act, ... and in her & Bill's rolls royce!... Bliss.
Long story short, I then toured with Carol in her own theatre show for the next ten years all over the UK, including summer season trips to the Isle of Wight & Jersey.
Carol & Bill became good friends and I also had the privilage to be able to visit and stay over at Carol & Bill's lovely home in Spaxton, together with my partner Amanda, who is a qualified hairdresser by trade and used to do Carol's hair for her, ..non green.
I was very humbled to be asked to say a few words at Carol's funeral in Taunton. I recalled a couple of funny antedote stories from my memories of touring with Carol, which I will add to this site soon. One involves her loving husband Bill and the other, the legendary Norman Wisdom.
Over time, I will also add here various newspaper cuttings, stories and pictures of Carol & Grotbags, some of which have never been published before anywhere.
Naturally, I will also endeavour to credit all picture copyright owners where possible.
If you have a story to tell about Carol and/or Grotbags, or a picture or two that you would like to share here, then please contact me, thank you.
This picture is from Snow White (1987) Camberley Theatre and the second one with Carol at her home on Spaxton Farm.. and she has me by the throat, ..again!
1982 - 84 Emu's World
1984 - 85 Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show
1986 Emu's Pinkwindmill Show
1987 - 88 Emu's Wide World
1989 Emu TV
1991 Rod n Emu Cartoon (Carol voiceover)
1991 - 93 Grotbags
Jim Bowen & Grotbags - this was most likely taken during a Central TV Roadshow.
Signed by Rustie Lee & Bernie Clifton.
.
