Dates

• Existence: 1925 - 2000

Biography

James (Jimmy) Corrigan came from a Yorkshire fairground family. He was born in Leeds in 1925. He started his life as a showman in the travelling fairs with his family and set roots in Scarborough after the Second World War, where over the years the family owned several entertainment businesses including a bingo, Corrigan’s Amusement Arcades and the famous Batley Variety Club.

Jimmy founded the Batley Variety Club in the 1960s and endeavoured to attract the biggest stars of the time including Louis Armstrong and Shirley Bassey. He was said to have a charismatic personality and in true showman’s spirit was always looking for the next novelty in entertainment. The club closed in the early 1980s.

Jimmy died in 2000 aged 74.