Ian Mitchell

After reading the stories on the website I knew providing a narrative of my memories with Chris will no doubt bring a smile to many faces who knew him well. I was lucky enough to meet Chris during my years at Ebbw Vale Senior Comprehensive School although I was fortunate enough to see his television appearances as a prominent member of Plan of Action a number of years before. He quickly became a regular member within our group of friends and was aptly nicknamed C.B.C (Chris Barrie Caswell)

For some reason, my fondest memories of Chris centre on sociable drinking nights and parties! The first night I ever went into town to drink was planned by Chris for a week or so in school and I can remember him turning up to my front door in a pair of suit trousers, shirt and tie holding the biggest umbrella in his right hand, and walked like a sergeant major to the pub. After a successful evening and full of confidence (and still under age) a week later we decided to go to an 18th birthday party at the Beaufort Ballroom. Toward the end of the evening, Chris decided to pick up two rounds of drinks for us both as the bar was getting slightly busy. With a full tray of drinks, Chris weaved his way through the busy dance floor without tipping a drop, but probably no more than 5 yards away from me, he managed to find a wet patch of beer with his right foot. After run-dancing and attempting to catch a few glasses, he ended up on his back with drinks over himself. Needless to say that we were both in hysterics but that was just the warm up. He went back to the bar and bought another round and came back and did exactly the same thing in the same spot on the dance floor. That signalled the end of that night for the both of us and we enjoyed singing Tom Jones songs on the wall of the graveyard on the way home before Chris fell off the wall damaging his knee. I then had the arduous task of getting him back home and apologising to Kay and Barrie for our behaviour!

These nights continued for years (near 20 in fact!) and I still experienced them when Chris returned to Ebbw Vale from Mill Rythe. He would always ring me to go for a drink with him that started with him saying "Remember when...." closely followed by "I think I'll have a sly one while you finish that one" and ending with him slamming the door (heavily) of our car and tapping the roof (heavily) shouting "God bless both, take care." It's hard to think that I'll never hear Chris say those words again.

Another thing about Chris was his warped sense of humour that I first witnessed in school. On one particular day, we were chatting outside the 6 form common room and a certain female member of staff wearing a long purple skirt slipped on a tray in front of the both of us. She landed quite awkwardly and not in a lady like manner with her legs wide apart and skirt over her head. I was quick to get down and help her up whilst Chris was beside himself laughing so much that he was incapable of helping the two of us on the floor. Chris always had a poor knack of hiding his sense of humour in the most serious of situations!

These are just a few small stories that come to mind when I think about Chris and I experienced them on school trips, parties, nights out, holidays and work to name but a few. His speech at our wedding exemplified the way he enjoyed, and had the ability to relate a story in front of an audience. Not surprisingly, similar stories were expressed in the car on the day of the funeralby other bearers that lightened the day and made me think that Chris had never changed since the first day that I met him (apart from his accent that slipped back to the Valleys after 10 pints of Welsh!)

There are so many others that could be told here, but I'm sure stories will emerge as friends start to write about their relationship with Chris. Over the years Chris was a very good friend to me and to my family. He would regularly bring his guitar down to our house and get everybody singing and could sing any song that was requested. All of my family loved his company and even on our wedding day when we had to leave for our honeymoon, I remember vividly, the room was packed with people and Chris sat with my nan in the corner drinking a pint while she had a cup of tea laughing like an old couple together, they were very fond of each other. He promised me that when we left he would stay with her to keep her company, that was Chris for you. In fact when she passed away, Chris was the first person to knock on my door and was the last person to leave my house on the day of the funeral. He supported me a lot particularly when I was playing and came to watch me during International games where he probably had no idea of what was going on during the game, but he was still there.

Chris was full of life and it wasn't often that you saw him in a bad mood. In fact, I don't think I ever saw him other than happy. He had the innate ability to fill a room when he entered and always left a fond memory. He was a true gentleman, a natural talent, and a genuine person from a loving and totally supportive family. Indirectly, I learnt a lot from Chris when we were friends and I am so greatful to have known him over those years. I, like others, will miss him so much, but those who did know him will be better people for doing so.

You were a special person Chris in so many ways. Ian.

Steve Leatham

I first met Chris on a park visit to Mill Rythe in 1999, he was leaning over the open hooded engine of his old white BMW 3 series that wouldn't start. He had the customery cigarette hanging from his mouth and a puzzled look on his face. "The bloody thing wont start" he said as myself and Josh walked over. Josh offered to help and Chris replied "Oh oh oh thank you Josh, Christ I need some fags and the shop's shut here." He connected the jump leads wrong, something went pop! and Josh's car now would not start either. As you can imagine I wet myself laughing.

I got an impression of Chris straight away. He had that nervous stammer and a puzzled look that surprised me because from hearing about him from colleaugues, he was known as the top guy at what he did, a likeable and sociable host and a genius of a musician. A year or so later I moved to Mill Rythe and began working day to day with Chris, we started putting shows together. He told me that he had pleaded for bigger teams to work with and I told him that would come. Our first show was Me and My Girl, our version, and it was a stonker to perform in, we loved it. Chris worked untill silly o'clock most nights getting the bespoke music written and the rehearsals and , he also learned to work with myself, a task never easy due to my habit of making last minute changes. All of a sudden I realised though that this was the secret, live shows and live music and Chris was the talent.

Chris came away from his hosting duties and went full time into writing shows with myself and developing the resident entertainers, this made him so popular with all the teams. They loved him for his patience and the way he pulled things together, he may have loved a fag and a beer, God knows we know that, but God he could bring something out of the most ordinary of voices.

Chris worked in developing many performers and also putting the confidence into non performers through tuition. Cas would do anything for anyone, just as long as it wasn't too early in the morning, this guy was worse than Waggers for getting in early, but I suppose when you rehearse till 7am, you earn the privilege of a lie in!

Chris and the relevant teams at Renowned with myself produced many productions from theme shows to pantomimes and solo spots. All self written and nothing would be plagiarised. Chris took immense pride in shows and wore his heart on his sleeve, those of you who performed in the opening night of Motown Sensation will know why he never wore a cream suite for a show again. Through that sweat he showed his pure dedication and a true level of care that I had never seen before. To work with Chris was an honour and he always delivered no matter how hard I pushed or how shitty or how short a deadline. He always pulled it together. "Worry about costumes and scripts" he would say to me "I will finish this show if it kills me!"

Outside work Chris had the kindest most non judgemental personality you could ever ask for. He had the patience of a saint, standing talking with the most boring of guests for an hour rather than seem rude by saying he had to go. He loved the social side of the job not just for the drink but the being around people, he fed off their energy and passion, but he was the most passionate,and we fed off his positive attitude. He was a shoulder to cry on for everyone and made special friendships with so many, those who were at his funeral were a testament to that. I stood crushed up at the rear of a church so full, people were waiting outside, this man was so popular and a friend to so many.

On a comical side Chris was so passionate that he could make you cry with his 'Welshness'. Christ, if Wales won the rugby we never heard the end of it. He was also famous for his indepth knowledge of Welsh rugby songs that he might not have sung in front of his mum, but brought us to tears of laughter many times around the BBQ on one of our many late night parties.

Chris was a special guy, I worked and lived behind him for five years and remember the good times. We never fell out once (because he would not allow it) and I think of my best working years and proudest times all associated with working with a genuinely talented and genius like guy. He had more friends than he could count and I am happy to be but one of them. My final memory of Chris was saying goodbye to him on the Isle of Wight before he left for the ship. I bought him some silly musical socks and a pair of cufflinks with a treble clef and a note on. This small gift touched him so much he choked and couldn't speak. I have a lump in my throat thinking about him and take great relief knowing I at least got to say thank you and goodbye to him the last time I saw him. I know many were not that lucky.

Here's to you Chris, up there, pint in one hand , fag in the other, naming the year a song came out as it comes on the radio and finishing the counts on a song with a special Caswell GA GA GA!! Love you Cas!!

Steve Jolley

Like many others, I too first met Caz at Mill Rythe. I worked there as male vocalist in 2000 and had briefly met him the year before at my audition. We quickly became very close friends and lived next door to each other for the majority of the year. For different reasons it was a difficult year for both of us, but we kept each other sane and I knew I had made a friend for life. Chris was always so supportive of problems that anyone had, he was always available for a chat (as long as it was after midday and his first can of Diet Coke!) and he had a professionalism at work that rubbed off on others around him.

Despite being a grown man, Caz had the sense of humour of a small child. I have never known anyone laugh so consistently at You've Been Framed. Some people need the comic timing of Billy Connolly or Ricky Gervais, Caz only needed an old woman to fall over!

I left Mill Rythe to work at Butlins, but we saw each other on a regular basis. Chris was by now my closest friend and we met often as I returned to watch the new ents team and he came down to Bognor to watch my new shows. Many nights stick in the mind, I'm sure everyone has their own Caz/beer/crazy night out stories. My favourite involved us getting caught (very drunk) by Butlins security as we tried (very drunk) to climb over the fence to avoid walking round to the front gate. Caz, not the most athletic man (he cracked a rib trying to climb a lamp post once I remember) didn't really get very far. Security saw us on CCTV and he tried (very drunk) to blag our way out of the situation by pretending he was an important figure at Bourne Leisure. As I had only got him a dodgy chalet key, this didn't get us very far, but we did laugh a great deal about it later, after an hour spent being grilled in a small interview room (very drunk as I think I've mentioned)

I went to work abroad for 6 months, but kept in close contact with Caz by phone. Expensive calling a mobile from the Canary Islands, I never got to say a lot, as the combination of him having loads to tell me about Mill Rythe and Harcourt combined with his excitement causing his stammer to get worse meant the money didn't last long!

On my return, Chris honoured a promise made over a pint in Hudsons that he would help me get on the cabaret circuit. I began working all over the place and have never forgotten that I owe it all to Mr Caswell. Whenever I worked on the Isle of Wight, he would always come and watch, smiling, looking as proud as my parents ever could, telling me that I had stormed it (not always true as anyone who has seen my act will testify!) and then take me back to Harcourt for laughs, funny stories and 'sly ones between rounds!'

The last couple of years have seen me get married and have two children. Chris was there at my stag do (although he wouldn't take part in go-karting "in case he hurt his fingers????!!!") and he was there at my wedding (and reading some people's words has made me feel even more greatful for this) and he came to visit very soon after my daughter was born. Sadly he missed out on the birth of my son by three months, but little Ben Christopher Jolley will definitely hear stories of who he is named after.

His death came as a bolt from the blue.

I had received a letter from him six weeks previously saying what a great time he was having on the Ocean Village, you could feel his excitement jumping from the page. I would like to thank everyone who worked with Caz on the boat for making my friend so happy for his last few months.

I will miss Chris forever. I feel robbed of a great friend, a great man and I feel sorry for all the people who would have met him who will now never get the chance. Thanks for all the memories mate, whenever I think of you, it is always with a smile. There are many other stories that I could tell, but maybe they're not for everyone's ears and as Chris would have said "Nothing good will come of this!!" Love you mate XX

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