QUESTION

I recently met a man wearing a gold rat on his lapel. When asked why, he replied that he was a'Water Rat'. Who are the Water Rats?

THE late Bernard Bresslaw, when King Rat, defined the aims of The Grand Order of Water Rats. 'in 1889 a small group of music hall lunlinaries came together to enjoy their mutual company in pursuit of aims which matched philanthropy and conviviality. Those men, animated by the vagaries of their calling, aimed to elevate their profession to a position of some substance. TO give to a calling inherently insecure, a permanence and standing worthy of its widespread appeal and to try to secure sustenance and help for those performers whose light had ed.' The founders, five of the great names in variety and vaudeville, owned a racing pony called the Magpie - named after a pub in Sunbury on Thames where they acquired it.

It won them a great deal of money street-racing' and, after winning a race one soaking wet day, a bus driver, recognising the 'stars' called out 'Wot you got there mates? Looks more like a bleeding Water Rat!', which is what they renamed it. They created a fraternity' Friends of the Water Rat' and later the GOWR

The GOWR still pursues its original aims in a setting where the claims of charity grow and widen. As well as helping its own dependents, it has made benefactions to numerous causes, both national and local. Since 1889 there have been just over 850 Water Rats, and never more than 200 at one time. Restricted to members from all facets of the entertainment industry, it boasts among its 15 Companion Rats their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles The Prince of Wales and Prince Michael of Kent.

Over the decades we can bask in the reflected glory of such well known Rats as Laurel and Hardy, Danny Kaye,Wll Hay, Ted Ray and, in more recent times, Roy Hudd, Paul Daniels, Michael Crawford, JOHN LODGE and Bob Hope. Recently introduced Baby Rats include Brian May, Rick Wakeeman and Joe Pasquale.

Should we be caught not wearing our emblem, a small gold rat, we can be fined by fellow Rats and this goes to our charities. Visit our website www.eabf.org.uk/gowr.htm for more information and forthcoming charitable functions, notably The Savoy lunch to honor our Brother Rat Sir John Mills, on March 26.

My claim to farne may have been the hit record Freight with my Skiffle Group in 1957, but my greatest honour will for ever be that of being elected King Rat of this wonderful-brotherhood for the year 2003. Chas McDevitt, King Rat 2003. visit teh official web site! http://www.gowr.net/