Cliff Richard fan steals thousands from pensioner

A Cliff Richard fan has admitted swindling tens of thousands of pounds out of an elderly woman – to spend on bills and the superstar’s merchandise.
Suzanne Hubbard has pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and theft, taking almost £70,000 from the same elderly lady between March 2006 and June 2011.
The charges include various transactions such as a payment of £60 to the DVLA, £246 to Virgin Media and £396 to buy goods from The Cliff Richard – the Summer Holiday singer’s official website.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to fraudulently using the pensioner’s Lloyds TSB debit card and spending £5,396 between March 21, 2006, and February 1, 2011.
She also pleaded guilty to using the Lloyds TSB debit card at an ATM between September 19, 2009, and June 9, 2011 withdrawing a total of £13,297 in that timeframe.
Hubbard has admitted stealing cheques to the total value of £15,232 between April 12, 2007 and September 9, 2010.
She also stole a further £35,460 between September 26, 2007, and March 28, 2011.
The defendant also admitted a further charge of fraudulently carrying out financial transactions on the elderly victim’s HSBC current account between March 23, 2010, and April 20, 2010.
Although Hubbard, of Haden Way, Willingham, has pleaded guilty to the five counts that total £69,971, she denies that she stole and fraudulently took the amounts that the Crown has stated in the charges.
A sentencing hearing has been provisionally set for September 24 at the Crown court.
The Cliff Richard merchandise ranged from mugs, key rings, T-shirts and silky cushion covers displaying the singer’s image to the star’s very own wine, calendars, CDs, concert DVDs.
This case comes to light following a number of cases where people have taken advantage of elderly people including Mahletchimi Ramudu, 53, and her two daughters, Angela Davis and Jessica Mahatevan who stole £274,000 of life savings from an 83-year-old war hero as they posed as friendly helpers.
Ramudu, of Stanley Road, Abbey, was jailed for five years, Davis, 27, of Mortlock Avenue, East Chesterton, for three, and Mahatevan, 18, who lived with her mother, was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders’ institution.

 

Cliff Richard show is debut performance

The Young Musical Theatre Company for young performers has been set up by Simon and Emma Boddy with their first show being Cliff Richard's musical vehicle Summer Holiday in Street.

The classic story sees four young bus mechanics take a London double-decker bus on a holiday-of-a-lifetime, journeying around Europe, picking up three lovely ladies in France and an unlikely stowaway en route.
Like the film, the stage show is filled with the same memorable Cliff Richard hits under the musical direction of Luke Holman.
The cast of talented 13 to 25 year olds will also perform a Saturday matinee at the theatre in Street where the audience can dress up and sing along.
Children aged 6 to 12 can also go to a pre-matinee workshop to learn a song and dance routine and perform it with the cast.
The production team, led by Peter Fernandez, is working on a voluntary basis with the profits from the show being donated to the Strode Theatre.
The 1960s musical is being updated, modernised and revamped to provide a modern flavour but with a taste of great British nostalgia – with the cast even singing and dancing their way in and out of a classic full-size red double-decker bus.
Tickets for the 7.30pm performances on Thursday, August 30, Friday 31 and Saturday, September 1 are now available at £12 each (£11 concessions).
Tickets are also available for the 2.30pm matinee performance for the Saturday at £10 each.
To book go to the www.strode theatre.co.uk website or phone 01458 442846.
Tickets for the Saturday workshop are available at £25 each which includes a ticket for the show.
Contact Emma Boddy on 07890 083995 for further details.

 

Walking The Shadows walk in Swindon

Walking The Shadows walk in Swindon

 

LOVE The Shadows? Then you’ll love an act coming to the Arts Centre on Saturday. The unmistakable 1960s hits from Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and John Farrarr – includng their famous collaborations with Cliff Richard – will ring out at the Devizes Road venue from 7.30pm, when The Undercover Shadows take to the stage.
The Undercover Shadows perform Apache, Wonderful LIfe and Atlantis as well as instrumental covers of The Young Ones, On The Beach, Move It, Summer Holiday, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina and Mark Knopfler’s Going Home in the iconic Shadows show.
Lee Grant the bass guitarist with The Undercover Shadows said: “It is an absolute pleasure to be playing these tunes on stage. I first learned to play Apache 38 years ago when I was just six, so this is almost a childhood dream for me and the same goes for the rest of the guys.’’ Clutching their red Fender electric guitars the guys strut The Shadows dance and take their audience back to the heady days of the 1960s.
Joining Lee in the band are Adam Knight on lead guitar, Russell Neal on rhythm guitar, Dave Garner on keyboards and Mark Winter on drums.
“We all have a deep down respect and admiration for The Shadows,’’ said Lee.