WHILE most of us enjoy a pint down the local, Chorley man Barrie Wyndham prefers going to The Rovers Return, The Woolpack or maybe even in the new Bar Brookie.

Comedian Barrie, 57, of Preston Road, has starred as an extra in all the major soaps, including Coronation Street, Brookside and Emmerdale.

One of his most memorable scenes came when he was an extra on a coach trip to see Miss Saigon in Coronation Street.

"One of the extras was new to it, and we were told not to speak to the main actors as they were rehearsing.

"This new woman overheard Alf tell Audrey she wouldn't be able to use the toilet until they reached London. This girl leaned over and said: 'You're joking, I can't wait that long."

"She got an amazing round of applause because Alf and Audrey were only rehearsing their lines, and this girl thought they were serious. It is always good fun."

It isn't just soaps that Barrie appears in. He's also appeared in Prime Suspect and in Hetty Wainthrop Investigates...and there's more coming up.

Barrie said: "I've just finished working on a drama starring Tim Healey called The Grand Hotel."

But the profession does have its drawbacks! Barrie added: "You normally have to be on set for 7:30 am, but once I had to leave home at 5:30am and spend most of the day standing around in a cold field! But the food was good."

Barrie has had a real showbiz life. He used to be in a band in Scotland when he met his wife, Maggie, who was a dancer. After they moved to Chorley 30 years ago, Barrie carried on with his true love, as a comedian, which he regularly does in Blackpool.

His repertoire includes impressions of Frank Carson, Frank Spencer and Roy Orbison...with props to boot.

One of his jokes is: "My wife was moaning last week that she never goes out. I replied that she never asked to go out. She said she has nothing to wear. I told her to wear that white thing I bought her a while ago.

She said 'I can't, it's got a tear in the veil!'"

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