A MUCH loved Weymouth entertainer is to be remembered with a concert and a reunion event.

The events will be held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Harold Cordell's first Old Time Music Hall at Weymouth Pavilion on October 4, 1974. He passed away in 2018.

On Friday, October 4 at 7.30pm, a commemorative fundraising concert will take place at Holy Trinity Church in Weymouth featuring The Decadettes, Will Adams and dancers from the Weymouth School of Ballet and Theatre Arts.

The 'Past, Present and Future' concert will be hosted by Harold's son Brian and will also feature a tribute to Harold. All money raised from the concert will go towards the church's ongoing refurbishment programme.

Following the success of his 1974 Old Time Music Hall, Harold went on to use the Music Hall format for every one of his subsequent annual shows at the Pavilion theatre up to his final show in 2007.

Harold's Pavilion shows raised, when adjusted for today's monetary value, over £256,000 for local and national charities.

He became affectionately known locally as Mr Music Hall and as well as his annual Pavilion shows, he also organised Music Hall entertainment for local groups, societies and venues. He also provided entertainment for the annual Harvest Supper evenings organised by Holy Trinity Church.

READ MORE: Farewell to 'Mr Music Hall'

On Saturday October 5 from 2pm there will be a reunion social event at the Upwey and Broadwey Memorial Hall.

If you appeared in any of Harold's shows, helped backstage, knew Harold on the local entertainment circuit or knew Harold and his family from their days at Upwey then come along and share your memories.

There will be refreshments and a display of memorabilia from Harold's shows.

Harold's 50 year career in entertaining began in 1957 aged 25. He went on to befriend fellow entertainer David Fowler, who introduced him to his future wife, Daphne Gill.

David was best man when Harold married Daphne in 1961. Harold and David then put on shows together.

Having invested £21 in a ventriloquist's dummy – a cheeky chap known as Jimmy Green – Harold made his first TV appearance in 1961 on Home Grown and dressed as a Canadian Mountie to perform a ventriloquist routine with Ginger the cowboy.

Harold regularly performed at Weymouth Pavilion as a ventriloquist and was also a compere. Before compering 1968 summer Sunday night shows he adopted the stage name 'Cordell'.

He introduced an array of stars including Margo Henderson, Tony Melody, Dick Emery, Billy J. Kramer, Nancy Whiskey, Ray Alan, Arthur English and Acker Bilk.

Tickets for the concert on October 4 are available in advance from Holy Trinity Church with more details on the church website www.holytrinityweymouth.org.

Tickets will also be available on the door on the night.