People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Mike Daly
Mike ‘Dazzling’ Daly, a former darts champion from Hartcliffe, is a beer-swigging, pie-munching fallen star setting the record straight in his tell-all show at the Wardrobe Theatre on Saturday, January 25.
Daly is the latest character created by Southmead-born Jody Kamali, whose most well-known character is Terry the Odd Job man.
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Here are Daly’s top-five Bristol favourites:
Filwood Broadway
“In the 80s, Filwood was buzzing,” according to ex-darts champion Mike Daly – photo by Ellie Pipe
“In the 80s, Filwood was buzzing. A proper range of shops, cafes, the bingo hall/cinema, swimming pool. Sadly, most of its gone now but I hear there’s people around there trying to get it back to its former glory. Me dad, Dave ‘Dirty’ Daly. used to play a lot of darts in Knowle, so I have good memories watching him play in the pubs and getting thrown out for cheating.”
Saltford Marina
Daly and now-wife, Roz, would head to the marina when they were courting – photo courtesy of Saltford Marina
“Saltford Marina is one of the most romantic places in the Bristol area, I reckon. I used to take me wife Roz in the 80s when we were courting. We’d lie on top of a narrow boat and drink cider under the moonlight, ’til the owner of the barge realised we were on top and chased us off the marina.”
Ashton Gate Stadium
Daly has been visiting Ashton Gate to support his beloved Robins all his life – photo by JMP
“I have been a City fan all me life. You can’t beat the atmosphere at the Gate. I missed going to the games when I left Bristol for London to pursue me darts career. One of the stand out moments of me life was during the peak of me career as a darts champion, the crowd were chanting: “Daly, Daly, Daly, Daly!” The players encouraged me on the pitch to have a kick about. I stabbed the ball with a dart. There weren’t impressed. The club tried to press charges for criminal damage. Bit over the top I thought.”
HMP Bristol
Horfield Prison,now officially called HMP Bristol – photo courtesy of Bristol24/7
“Me dad was in and out of Horfield for years. I once got caught up in the Horfield Prison riots in 1986 and got mistaken for a prisoner. I was in the nick for three days before they realised I was just a civilian, mind. The building is beautiful bit of architecture, mind. It’s like you are walking into a museum to see some Egyptian tombs or something but you’re not, you’re going to get banged up.”
Henleaze Lake
Henleaze Lake is a hidden oasis in north Bristol – photo by Martin Parr
“I have a lot of family in the Mead. One thing me and me cousins used to do was trek through Baddock Woods to Henleaze Lake and go swimming off a man-made tree swing. It was dangerous to swim in there mind, but in those day, nobody said anything or if they did you’d just ignore them.”
Main photo by Edward Moore.
Read more: My Bristol Favourites: Terry the Odd Job Man
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