Coalville’s famed Music Hall comedian Billy Burton

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Billy Burton was a well-known Music Hall comedian from Coalville who also worked as a miner in the Leicestershire town in the 1920’s. In 1926 he rode a horse and cart with his caravan comedy show to London where he played to 2,500 people on Hampstead Heath, all to raise money for those back home affected by the General Strike. The strike lasted just nine days but brought Britain to a standstill. One million coal miners had been locked out of their workplaces by powerful pit owners who demanded longer hours for less money. BBC Leicester’s Ben Jackson went meet Billy’s great-grandson Matt Holt to find out more about his life and legacy. Produced by Pete Wardman. If you want to know as soon as a new episode is available, make sure you subscribe to Secret Leicestershire on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on. Image: Matt Holt