Individual results

Interviewee: Sean Poole
Interviewer: Stacey Bains

Track 1
Born 22 Mar 1965 in Kings Heath, Birmingham. 1994 moved to Coventry. First impressions very dull. Played darts for Warwickshire. Based here. Lived in Kings Heath for 14 years. Five siblings. Oldest brother 14 years older. In army/ Merchant Navy. Father school caretaker. Mother cleaner/ laundress. Father musician in evenings. Bishop Challeners, St Dunstons Catholic Schools. Sometimes overbearing relationship. Spoilt as youngest.

Track 2
Took him around country to play darts. Father big influence. Family of entertainers. First memory watching TV with Dad. Does things with children that his dad did with him. Always went on holiday. Parents had two jobs. Auntie had caravan in Skegness. Horrible caravan. Great Yarmouth.

Track 3
Closest to next oldest brother. Told parents he was smoking. Horrible to him. Brother took him out. When older very close. Older sister treated him like her child. At 7 years old ill with bronchitis/asthma. Off school for long period. Friends would look through on way to swimming, window/pass notes. St Dunstons Primary Roman Catholic. Got on with teachers. Miss Wright reminded him of My Little Pony. Very nice. Family friend.

Track 4
Her family took them riding. Were well off from Worcestershire. Was altar boy. Badly behaved. Did it to get out of lessons. Hated history. Mass at same time. Parents not religious. Mother C of E. Converted later. Marriage caused uproar. Father Irish. Gran staunch Catholic. Mother made them go to church. Quizzed on service. Skipped church to visit brother's mother-in-law. Played Thunderbirds. Launch pad.

Track 5
Orange rocket. Hand-me-downs from brother. Watched Tiswas together. Multicolored Swapshop. Confident going to secondary school because lived there. Didn't feel like new school. Knew some of the teachers. Brother and sister, athletic he wasn't. Loved school. Joker in class. Won talent competition. Had clapometer. Friendly with teachers. Not as clever as brother.

Track 6
Midstream. Knew he'd be professional dart player or entertainer. Seven 'O' Levels. B's-D's. Turned professional at 16 years old. 14 years old, captained Worcestershire. 15 years old, in England under 18's. A lot of money in Darts then. Started at 7. Dad a good player. Doesn't like to loose. Not bad loser. Loved attention. Called Brash Brummie. Played Eric Bristow. Beat him when 17 years old. In News of the World.

Track 7
Flamboyant off stage but quite shy. To relax played more darts. Cycled to Wales. Rhyl, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay. Joined cycling club. Birmingham to Stratford. Cycled with friend. They had fancy bikes etc. Didn't fit in. Visited relatives. Horrible auntie, wet herself at sisters wedding.

Track 8
Cycled to Stratford, Redditch, Wales. Stayed at Youth Hostels. Visited relatives a lot. Uncle taught him shooting. Liked walking in country. Close to cousin and friend. Went to Ireland with Adrian. Grew apart because of darts. Went to Belgium, Holland to play darts. Started playing for Warwickshire. Based at Folsehill Social Club. Mercia Sporting Club. Second home. Never thought he'd live here. Sponsored by Costello Doors. Also worked for them.

Track 9
Shop Manager. Based in Handsworth. Rough. 18 years old, stopped playing. Was good but not getting better. Seven hours a day practice. Practiced in shop. World ranking 49. Played for a team/county. Started doing comedy/ radio. BRMB darts reports. Worked with George Gavin.

Track 10
Born entertainer. Held back by darts. Parents disappointed. Limited talent. Expected he'd be world champion. Never pushed him. Very supportive. Had a trophy room. Hated it. Showed people around it.

Track 11
Many jobs. Milkman. Undertaker. Longest job 2-2 1/2 years. Comedy, comparing in evenings. Loved undertaking. Undertakers miserable. Sense of humor helped. Dropped bodies. Crashed into hurst. Shoulder bearing dropped body. Had window-cleaning business.

Track 12
Also ran entertainment agency. Dart players, comedians, drag artist. Had a massive mobile phone. Like a brick with suitcase. Cleaned windows on phone. Moved abroad 1994. Met fiancÉe before. Sees he moved to Coventry then and never went back to Birmingham. Three years in Tenerife. Second divorce at 28 years old. Two children from first marriage. 22 years old, got married. Nine months after child born. Divorced 26. years old, 27 years old remarried. 28 years old divorced. Second wife Italian with five children.

Track 13
Wanted to get away from ex. Nearly full time entertaining. Bought inflatable Sumo wrestling. Thought it would work abroad. Asked partner to join him. Initially hated it. Needed fresh start. Depressed at divorce and no access to step children. Encouraged by Anne Marie. Lived in a "cell". Eat biscuits and crisps. Had no money.

Track 14
She came over on holiday and kept him there. Three great years. Hated having no friends/family and needing money. Away from children. Gets on well with first ex. Cooker didn't work. Low point because of divorces and situation. Brother thought he'd come straight home. Made him determined. Stayed for lifestyle and to prove to people. Grew in confidence became Hypnotist.

Track 15
Could try new things. Eventful. Moved. Back stabbed by bar owners. Made him stronger. Made him mature. Anne-Marie a big influence. Was an old man at 28 years old. Worked hard since. Liked weather most. Hates winter. Some good friends. Liked tennis played it all the time there. Misses sports/fitness.

Track 16
Best thing making peoples holidays. Worst thing not being able to trust people. Mickey Take stage name. Worked on Waves FM. Turned on him. No loyalty. British worst. Got fed up. Wanted a family. Partner left first. Persuaded to come back. Been back stuck in time. Good experience. Missed things e.g. theatre.

Track 17
Cinema in Spanish. Didn't miss family. Kids came over in holidays. Likes to sit at home with family. Has phases when doesn't speak to mum. Losing father devastating. Dislikes her new partner. Doesn't need anything else. Partners mother baby sits often. Go to and judge talent shows. Go to cinema, out for dinner. Partner loves cinema. Enjoys it when there. She's embarrassing. Loud laugh sprays popcorn.

Track 18
Wants to marry again. Partner reluctant. Couldn't marry in Bahamas as became pregnant. Was Events manager on ferries. Worked in holiday parks. Great Yarmouth, Wales summer season. North sea ferries to Holland. First marriage to get away from home. Partner got pregnant. Second wife nine years older. Away a lot. She had an affair. Rushed into it.

Track 19
Been with Anne Marie seven years. Would like more commitment. Thinks commitments important. Sounds silly to say girlfriend at 40 years old. Is old-fashioned. Not as strong about marriage as was. Same values as parents. Taught children manners. Was very well behaved. Never hit. Strict and caring.

Track 20
People say his kids are well mannered. Family most important. Friends not permanent. Without it have nothing. Knows realistically won't make it as entertainer. Wants to make a good living from it. Would like to do more acting. Has minor roles. Doesn't like to watch himself. Would like to live in America. Partner would also. Won holiday to LA. They eat junk food and speak English. Ambition to move. Worked as ents manager on P&O ferry, Inflatable Sumo wrestling, compare hypnotist.

Track 21
DJ, children's ents. Worked with Bob Monkhouse and Russ Abbot. Specialises in Hypnotism. Some compere work. Enjoys comedy hypnotism most. Like to make audience happy. Disc Joking is grief. Hypnotists star cabaret. Likes being top of the bill. At Britannia Pier Theatre last year and hopefully this year. Theatre work favourite. Makes him feel good.

Track 22
Is someone else on stage. Enjoys it. Good money. £100-150 an hour. Feels somebody. Like Stars in their Eyes. Salesperson in shop during the day. Doesn't feel anyone. Own boss in evenings. Show on Friday evening but back to shop on Saturday. Can make peoples holidays. Feels elated. Not many fears.

Track 23
Fears ill health. Has suffered with chest problems. Wouldn't like to rely on others. Father had cancer. Could always get work. Fears for children. Used to buy Telegraph meant nothing. Used to see Coventry as damp and miserable. New places in town. Coventry coming to life. Buys paper and knows about places. Working in shop get to know Coventry. Its his home. Says he comes from here. Tries to lose his accent. Won't tell people he's a Brummie. Doesn't like way they're perceived.

Track 24
Embarrassed by family's accent. Friendly people here. Nice area. Nice neighbours. Would never live in Birmingham again. Speaks to neighbours. Doesn't know wider community. Busy at work. When child goes to school will get more involved. Community not important. Too busy. Would like another child. Reluctant at first. Keep him young. Not children past 40 years old. One more.

Coventry Lives Oral History Project, date of birth: 22/03/1965