Reeves enjoys a Big Day Out with apprentices

Feb 28 2008 By Karen Dent

COMEDIAN Vic Reeves put himself at the mercy of a man with a cut throat razor when he enjoyed a Big Day Out in the North East yesterday.

Reeves, who was brought up in Darlington, made a whistle-stop tour of the region to meet apprentices working in roles ranging from gentlemen’s grooming to cooking and car restoration.

As a former mechanical engineering apprentice in Newton Aycliffe during the 1970s, Reeves was on the road to support the Learning and Skills Council’s Apprenticeship Week, which reunited him with his former trainer David Allison at the National Railway Museum in Shildon.

“I’d not seen him for 30 years,” said Reeves. “He hasn’t changed at all. We had a good chat and he asked me if I wanted to come back in July for their awards. I actually won the Best Log Book of the Year Award when I was an apprentice.”

The comedian, whose TV shows range from Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out to Shooting Stars, may not have made a career in mechanical engineering but he reckons his apprenticeship wasn’t wasted.

“I did it, I went through it and it was good. It’s still useful, I still use the skills I learned around the house.”

During his visit, Reeves said he and comedy partner Bob Mortimer are keen to resurrect one of their most popular TV shows and also have plans for a new comedy. “We might be doing Shooting Stars again – it depends on the BBC,” he said. “We’re also working on a sitcom. It’s about super heroes who get skills through a telegraph pole that malfunctions and they go around helping people in their local community.”

Reeves finished his tour by working with hospitality and catering apprentice Dan Sullivan at the Travelling Man pub at West Boldon, where he helped to cook lunch.