Cornish comedian Jethro is to sell his cabaret club north of Tavistock on the border of Cornwall and West Devon.
The comedy venue Jethro’s in Lewdown closed to the public in 2012 and will now be sold - along with everything inside.
Jethro said: “The club is an icon from a wonderful period of comedy but that age of comedy is over now, times have changed.
Jethro said: “The club is an icon from a wonderful period of comedy but that age of comedy is over now, times have changed.
"I’m 66 now, I don’t want to be going around all over the place. I’ve been doing three or four performances a week and travelling far too many miles. So it’s time to move on and get rid of all this stuff.”
Jethro – whose real name is Geoffrey Rowe – founded the club in 1989 and it became a feature of the Cornish comedy circuit, providing the launch pad for many a local entertainer’s career and even featuring in a number of the comedian’s video sketches.
Mr Rowe said that a combination of high workload and changing trends meant the venue was no longer sustainable.
“I made sure all the things I didn’t like I didn’t bring here, and all the things I did like I did and that is why we have sold out for 23 years,” he said. “But the great acts I knew are gone and the new acts just aren’t for me. I am still doing theatre tours but without the extra workload I am able to enjoy my job again.”
The club will go up for auction on August 6, alongside a host of other furniture and memorabilia. Lots will include the stables where the performer once bred race horses, signed cricket bats, chairs, paintings and a collection of whiskey bottles.
“The memories of the club are great – not just for me but for the people who have visited – and I have enjoyed being behind the bar,” Mr Rowe said. “Now I’m planning to get myself a little cottage somewhere, where I don’t plan on having room for all this stuff.”
