Farewell to the theatre boss they called 'Mr Bow Tie'

11:00am Saturday 23rd December 2006

By Melanie Adams

HE was the Hampshire showman who brought The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to live audiences in the county.

For generations he was best known to many as Mr Bow Tie, the charismatic manager of Southampton's Gaumont theatre.

From grizzled rockers to the stars of the theatre and film, the old Gaumont theatre hosted them all thanks to the work of Ken Watts, who has died at the age of 82.

At 6ft, and with piercing eyes, hollowed cheeks and his trademark bow tie, Ken became one of the city's best-loved characters, achieving the longest stay in the post of any of the theatre's managers.

At the helm for 24 years, he had the satisfaction of having overseen a revival in live entertainment at the Gaumont, which later became The Mayflower theatre, including its greatest period of live music, which saw The Who and Elton John take to the Southampton stage.

Ken's son-in-law Mike Atelsky, a photographer, said: "They played the great and the good on the stage. He was always the classic showman. As the saying went, They played them on the way up and they played them on the way down'.

"It became a great success and the most sought-after venue outside of London. All the biggest names came to play, because the great impresarios had confidence in the management at the Gaumont - Ken. He ticked all the boxes for them.

"Southampton certainly benefited from the confidence impresarios had in Ken because they were comfortable in bringing their big shows to the city. Everybody who was anybody came to the south.

"He always remembered The Who, because it was the most scary. This was because the first circle of the theatre would bounce up and down underneath the weight of those enjoying the rock 'n' roll.

"Another significant memory was the queuing round the block overnight for The Beatles. Queuing round the block for tickets just doesn't happen today because everything is electronic.

"He would be the 6ft man, in his dinner suit, a glass of whisky in one hand and a cigar in the other, sat at his desk, but with girls around him from one of the great shows from the stage. It is the end of an era."

Ken and his wife Eileen were the last to "live above the shop" and their daughter, Geraldine, has so many fond memories of growing up in the theatre.

She said: "My dad was always the life and soul of the party, always socialising and entertaining the people from the shows. It was more than a job for him, it was a way of life. He absolutely loved it."

Ken died following a long illness. His funeral will be held on Thursday, December 28, at 2.30pm at Southampton Crematorium.