Bristol Hippodrome's longest-serving staff member toasts 45 years

Tony Bell said Dame Barbara Windsor tops his list of favourite celebrities

After working at Bristol Hippodrome's stage door for 45 years, Tony Bell still says he "wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Mr Bell, 62, is the Hippodrome's longest serving member of staff.

He started working at the stage door in September 1978 and has met the likes of the then Prince Charles, the late Dame Barbara Windsor and Sir Ian McKellen.

"I think the best part of my job is meeting the variety of people that I meet," said Mr Bell, from Kingswood.

Tony Bell, pictured here in 1987, loves listening to audience members praising performances as they pass the stage door

"I think it's listening to the audience walk past the stage door saying, 'That was brilliant'.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. It's a lovely place to be."

He started his job just months after the Hippodrome had decided to shut the theatre in early 1978.

At that point it was not set to reopen, but its owners reversed the decision following a public outcry.

Mr Bell started working in front of house in September that year, after what he describes as a "very strange" interview.

Mr Bell, in the 1990s, in the "prompt corner" during work to level the stage

"I came in for my interview at about 12 o'clock, sat in the Circle Bar for an hour and a half," said Mr Bell.

"I was eventually seen by the manager at the time and my interview consisted of, 'Can you paint?', to which I said, 'Yes', and then I went to join the boys in Circle Bar and painted some chairs."

"I then transferred over to night watchmen which I did for four years, which was very interesting because I was on my own for most of the time and I got to know the building quite well - all the strange noises and things like that."

Describing his role working on the stage door, he said: "It sounds very glamorous, but it's all sorts of things - reception, telephonist, postman, security, tourist information.

"You're the first person that people meet, so you have to be quite a welcoming and helpful person."

Tony and his friend and colleague Sally were invited to Highgrove as part of the theatre's fundraising work

Mr Bell has also organised fundraising events with the cast of Les Misérables and the Phantom of the Opera, which raised £75,000 for The Grand Appeal and Bristol Children's Hospital.

He says his first charity concert was the biggest highlight of his career.

"It was a sense of achievement and it was a massive sense of friendship and togetherness," he said.

"I think that was probably my biggest achievement. I felt so proud of all of the people I worked with."

Throughout his lengthy career, Mr Bell says he has met many celebrities, but one in particular tops his favourite list.

"Dame Barbara Windsor was an amazing lady. Such a lovely genuinely friendly person. Unbelievable. I don't think anybody will ever top that on my favourite list."

Dave Shepard, right, is head of maintenance and has worked there 39 years

Mr Bell, who turns 63 in February, says he intends to continue working at the theatre for the foreseeable future.

"It's an amazing place to be because we work in a very close knit group and the aim for us is, if the audience member leaves at the end of the evening and says, 'My god, that was good', we've all done our jobs right."

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