Hillcrest House,the previous home of musician and comedy film star George Formby,London Rd, Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK, WA4 6LG

Its turned out nice again for the former Warrington home of legendary entertainer George Formby. Hillcrest House, in Walton Road, Stockton Heath, where ukulele playing George once lived with his dad – also an entertainer – has been refurbished and has become a small business centre run by Warrington-based Purple Accounts. The house was the Formby family home from 1917 and it was from there that George launched his show business career. It had a brief existence as a boutique hotel, which opened in 2013, when it was also recognised with a blue plaque. Now it has been comprehensively and sympathetically refurbished by the owner but is still filled with iconic images of Formby, who was at one time credited with being the highest-paid star in UK show business. There’s even a replica of the “No 14” motorbike that Formby rode in his 1939 movie “No Limits” based on the TT races in the Isle of Man – where, coincidentally, the first Purple Accounts office opened in 2007. The new small business centre based at George Formby’s House was officially opened by Warrington South MP Andy Carter, The Purple Accounts small business centre helps small businesses with compliance services such as accounts, tax, book-keeping and payroll George Formby, OBE (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he sang light, comic songs, usually playing the ukulele or banjolele, and became the United Kingdom's highest-paid entertainer. Born in Wigan, Lancashire, he was the son of George Formby Sr, from whom he later took his stage name. After an early career as a stable boy and jockey, Formby took to the music hall stage after the early death of his father in 1921 The media historian Brian McFarlane writes that on film, Formby portrayed gormless Lancastrian innocents who would win through against some form of villainy, gain