Danny La Rue costumes for sale

Sequined gowns and pantomime classics worn by the late entertainer Danny La Rue are to be auctioned in March.

They include outfits worn in the West End hit Hello Dolly! and glamorous frocks he wore impersonating Zsa Zsa Gabor, Tina Turner, and Dolly Parton.

The costumes and other memorabilia from La Rue’s 60-year career will be sold at Brick Lane Music Hall in London.

The Irish-born star, who was once Britain’s best known drag act, died last May at the age of 81.

The costumes are being sold by Annie Galbraith, the entertainer’s long-time friend and companion towards the end of his life.

Comic in a frock

Four have already been bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum, two of which will be on permanent display.

Another pair will be featured in a forthcoming exhibition of pantomime costumes at the Museum of Childhood.

During the 1960s and 70s, La Rue was one of the highest paid stars on television as well as carving out a successful career on the stage and in cabaret.

He was born Daniel Patrick Carroll, in Cork in 1927 and moved to London with his family when he was nine.

La Rue moved into show business after leaving the navy and made his West End debut in the mid-50s.

In 1969, he became the first drag act to feature in the Royal Variety Performance, the first of three such appearances.

He also became the first man to appear as a female character in a major musical when he took the role of Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly! in a 1982 production which eventually transferred to the West End.

He became a regular in pantomime and in summer shows around the country leading one critic to describe him as "a national monument".

He continued working almost to the end with appearances in a biographical revue in Spain at the age of 79 and the Brick Lane Music Hall in 2007.

Though he made his name as a drag performer, Danny La Rue always refused to be labelled as a female impersonator, once describing himself as "a comic in a frock".</p

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MP seeks licence fee debate

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw has queried the value of the BBC’s licence fee and said there is "good reason" for a debate over its future.

Mr Bradshaw told Sky News there were questions over whether the licence fee should continue "as the best funding mechanism" for the BBC.

The debate over the £3.6bn settlement should consider the size of the corporation, he said.

But Mr Bradshaw declined to comment on reports about proposed BBC cuts.

Mr Bradshaw told Sunday Live on Sky News: "I think there is a good reason to have a debate in the run-up to the next licence fee, which we shall have if we are in government, as to how big the BBC should be, how big the licence fee should be, even if we should continue to have a licence fee in the long-term as the best funding mechanism."

‘Difficult decisions’

It was important the public were involved in the debate because they paid for the service and consumed the programmes, he said.

He went on: "The BBC is free at any time to say ‘Look we don’t need all the money we have got, have some back’.

"But it is very, very important that political parties in between the years when the licence fee is set don’t give a running commentary like that because that would be a very serious breach of the BBC’s independence," he said.

Mr Bradshaw said he did not want to be drawn on proposed BBC cuts, which would reportedly close down digital stations BBC 6 Music and the Asian Network.

He admitted he had never listened to 6 Music but said the station’s future was a matter for the the BBC to decide.

"Whatever the BBC drops or stops doing there are bound to be people who are not happy with that but hey that is the job of leadership, that is the job of strategic management which means you have to take difficult decisions.

"Let’s wait to see what the BBC comes up with before we weigh in and give commentary on it," he said. </p

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Free venues ‘get visitor boost’

Free tourist attractions have enjoyed a boost in visitor numbers during the recession, trade figures suggest.

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) said its members had 10.9% more visitors overall last year.

There were rises at free venues such as the National Gallery (up 9% with 4.78m visitors) and the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich (up 15% to 2.37m).

Alva said the increases came as people sought good value days out during the economic downturn.

Most popular was the British Museum in London with 5.57 million visitors, despite having 6.1% fewer visits in 2009.

It was followed by the National Gallery and the Tate Modern (4.74 million).

TOP UK VISITOR ATTRACTIONS

• 1. British Museum 5.57m (-6.1%)
• 2. National Gallery 4.78m (+9%)
• 3. Tate Modern 4.75m (-2%)
• 4. Natural History Museum 4.11m (+9.8%)
• 5. Science Museum 2.79m (+3%)
• 6. Tower of London 2.39m (+11%)
• 7. National Maritime Museum 2.37m (+15%)
• 8. Victoria and Albert Museum 2.27m (+10%)
• 9. National Portrait Gallery 1.96m (+6.4%)
• 10. St Paul’s Cathedral 1.82m (+8%)

Visitor numbers in 2009 (change on previous year in brackets). Source: Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

However, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire – which does charge for entry – had one of the biggest increases in visitors, with a 43.6% rise to 537,120.

Avla said overseas visitors attracted by the weak pound and British tourists electing to stay within the UK contributed to the overall increase.

The association is made up of the country’s leading museums, galleries, heritage sites, cathedrals, gardens, zoos and leisure parks.

A poll of Alva members showed 82% were optimistic about the immediate future, compared with 60% last year.

Some 35% said there should be more incentives to get people to visit or stay in the UK, rather than taxing tourists.

They said they would also like to see a reduction in VAT on admission tickets, and more government funding for VisitBritain to help the tourism body promote the UK abroad.

Alva director Robin Broke said: "The tourism industry played a vital role in Britain’s economy last year, with leading attractions working hard to maintain visitor figures and revenue in a challenging fiscal environment.

"As the political parties prepare for the general election, they should consider how best to help the industry maximise the revenue it can generate and the additional jobs it can create."</p

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McQueen ‘hanged himself’

Fashion designer Alexander McQueen hanged himself in a wardrobe after leaving a suicide note, an inquest in London has been told.

He was found dead at his London home on Thursday, as final preparations were being made for his spring collection to be unveiled in Paris.

Mr McQueen was named British designer of the year four times between 1996.

In a message on the micro-blogging website Twitter on 3 February, Mr McQueen said his mother had died.

His close friend fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who helped launch his career, killed herself in 2007.

Performing at the Brit awards on Tuesday night, Mr McQueen’s friend Lady Gaga dedicated a song to him.</p

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BBC revealing total performer pay

The BBC is to reveal the total amount paid to its performers who broadcast on radio and television.

This is thought to be almost £230m a year and, of that figure, £70m goes to the top earners.

The BBC will not disclose individual salaries, saying they are commercially confidential, despite continued pressure from MPs.

However, the corporation will give new details of the pay and expenses given to BBC executives.

Politicians of all parties have urged the corporation to reveal what it pays its stars, and cut what it pays its managers.

Many performers have taken a pay cut, top executives’ pay has been published and frozen, and bonuses have been withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the BBC has also agreed to reveal licence fee-funded payments to some of its leading sports presenters to a House of Commons spending watchdog but not to the public.

Jeremy Peat, a BBC trustee, said he would provide a breakdown of the costs for major events in confidence to the Public Accounts Committee.

He made the offer after committee chairman Edward Leigh accused the corporation of being "obsessed" with celebrities and suggested the figures should be made public.

Talent deals

A fifth of the budget for one such event went on presenters, Mr Leigh said, but its identity was kept secret to prevent anyone knowing what an individual star might have earned.

He said that the three events "in question" were Wimbledon, Euro 2008 and the Olympics.

A National Audit Office (NAO) investigation found last month that the broadcaster was failing to show its coverage of major sporting and music events was providing value for money.

While the NAO had been given the breakdown of the proportion spent on presenters for individual events, it was not allowed to make that public, Mr Leigh said.

Mr Peat said the BBC had to protect the confidentiality of pay deals with its "top talent".

He also said that revealing the split between talent and other staff for each event would make it "possible for people, on the basis of information which is available or could be made available, to get a very good approximation of the cost of some individual talent for some of these events".</p

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