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Betty Stogs — Dame for a laugh

l Fred Thomas, alias Betty Stogs, flanked by Skinner's Brewery managing director Steve Skinner and Mary Murfin, fun-raiser for the Children's Hospice South West

4 There is nothing like a dame, they say, and Steve Skinner, boss of Skinner's Brewery, in Truro, Cornwall, would be the first to agree, with the profile of his session bitter, Betty Stogs, improved no end over the past 12 months by the arrival of a colourful new mascot.

Fred Thomas, 42, is better known to many around his village of Sticker as an agricultural sales representative, but every now and again the panto dame in him comes out and he treads the boards — as well as beer festivals and trade shows — as the living embodiment of the Betty Stogs folklore character after whom the beer is named.

	BETTY STOGS
	Betty Stogs beer has won a host of awards and is named after a folklore character of West Cornwall who was unkempt and lazy, could never mend her stockings, couldn’t knit or cook – and definitely liked her ale! Her child was taken from her by the 'small people', washed in the morning dew and returned. The shock of it is said to have turned Betty into a reformed character.

He got the job after the brewery organised a competition to find a real-life Betty Stogs who could commit to some personal appearances to promote the beer. And as a keen amateur dramatics man Fred has warmed to the role, regularly getting made up and donning his, er, sexy Betty costume.

This being Skinner's, one of Cornwall's biggest supporters of charitable causes, Betty has done her bit in terms of fund-raising too. In character, Rd`has raised more than £2,000 mostly for the brewery's adopted charity, the Children's Hospice South West, but also for the RNLI at waterfront events.

In character, Fred has run the Truro Half-Marathon and Newquay 10K race, and toured pubs with an ever-increasing fund of funny stories and jokes. He has also attended beer festivals, opened fetes and become something of an after-dinner speaker. He addressed the Rugby Wooden Spoon dinner in Newquay, for instance, alongside former England prop Graham Rowntree, and even accepted an invitation to speak at a memorial service.

“The whole thing seems to be going from strength to strength,” says Fred, who revealed the role his 16-year-old daughter Jen has played in her dad’s double life. “She’s been a great help in making up my face and putting on the nail varnish on for me. Jen is very creative; she’s been involved in the pantomime at Sticker and worked on the props and costumes in productions at Roseland Community School.”

Fred adds: “It’s all great fun and I owe a big debt of gratitude to Katie Bowden, the co-producer at Sticker Players, who has helped a lot with the story lines and jokes. In the pubs they’re unofficially calling it An Audience With Betty Stogs and I’ve been told I come over as a cross between Jethro and Tommy Cooper!”

Fred is now looking forward to an even busier second year in the role, with a highlight being the Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta, in September, when Skinners will be lead event sponsor.

“'Our Betty’ has done an absolutely terrific job,” said Steve Skinner. “Fred has done everything we had in mind and more. He’s a natural for the role. He makes everyone feel better and he never misses an opportunity to go round with a collecting box or to sell raffle tickets.”

April 17, 2008