Basil Newby
Encyclopedia
Joseph Warren Basil Newby (b. October 1, 1951) is a gay entrepreneur and businessman. Simply known as Basil, he was born in the Fylde coast town of Blackpool
, Lancashire
where he has lived and worked all his life.
in the early 1970s. His first business was the 'Gone Gay' fancy goods shop in Blackpool. In 1979 Newby took over The Flamingo, a nightclub on Talbot Road, which he reopened as Blackpool's first gay nightclub, later expanding to use more of the building, with capacity for 2,000 customers. He has since expanded his In the Pink leisure empire to include several bars.
The Flamingo building was demolished in 2007, but Newby went on further success with his burlesque
show Funny Girls, which has been described as "a Broadway musical meets rock concert meets Lily Savage", adding millions of pounds to his fortune.
In 2003, Newby reportedly had a personal fortune of over 15 million pounds.
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
where he has lived and worked all his life.
Biography
Newby worked as a bluecoat at Pontin'sPontin's
Pontins is a British holiday business which was originally founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin. It specialises in offering half-board and self-catering holidays with regular entertainment on offer. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalets. The company once grew to be a major operator of...
in the early 1970s. His first business was the 'Gone Gay' fancy goods shop in Blackpool. In 1979 Newby took over The Flamingo, a nightclub on Talbot Road, which he reopened as Blackpool's first gay nightclub, later expanding to use more of the building, with capacity for 2,000 customers. He has since expanded his In the Pink leisure empire to include several bars.
The Flamingo building was demolished in 2007, but Newby went on further success with his burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
show Funny Girls, which has been described as "a Broadway musical meets rock concert meets Lily Savage", adding millions of pounds to his fortune.
In 2003, Newby reportedly had a personal fortune of over 15 million pounds.