Wednesday 17th September 2003
Carrot's charity crusade in Clent | |
|  | | Jasper Carrot |
| | Jasper Carrot - one of the nominees in the BBC Greatest Midlander vote - talks about his charity work at a school in Worcestershire. |
| | | Jasper Carrot's public persona is very well established - comedian, Birmingham City fan (does that explain the sense of humour) and now nominee as one of the ten greatest Midlanders.
He hasn't let that nomination go to his head though - talking to BBC Hereford an Worcester's Katie Smith he admitted it was all just a bit of fun:
"It's very flattering when you see the list of ten people, but it's only a bit of fun.
"They did it in Liverpool and Ken Dodd won - so maybe I'm in with a chance.
"I can't see me ousting Shakespeare though. He's got everything, and he's funny too."
Jasper's charity work at the Sunfield school in Clent is probably less well known.
The school helps children with special needs, and has both residential and day care pupils, and he became involved almost by accident.
"It's just one of the most amazing schools I've ever been to - it really tugged my heart when I went there to present one of these Sunshine Coaches.
"I got stuck in and tried to raise the £800,000 for the house, and I think they're in the final stage and they need another £150,000 or so."
Palace to poppadoms
His charity work earned him an OBE in the honours list - he says it stand for "Old Brummie Comedian."
The trip to Buckingham Palace to pick up the gong was a typical Carrot expedition.
"We had a brummie day out in London. After the Palace we went to the Savoy - 78 brummies packed in the Savoy was very quiet of course.
"The we got on a coach to come back to Brum and stopped off at an off-licence in Islington and bought every bottle of booze he'd got, and drank that all the way back to Birmingham.
"Then we went for a curry - so we started at Buckingham Palace, then the Savoy, and then a balti in Dorridge."
Doubtless that journey, and his bid to become Greatest Midlander - will feature in his stage show very shortly. | | | |
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