2013514a

Mandatory Credit: Photo by ANL/REX (2013514a) Chairman Of Mecca And Conservative Candidate For Dulwich Eric Morley Pictured With New Bride Actress Julia Morley Nee Julia Rogers At Their Wedding Eric Morley (26 September 1918 A 9 November 2000) Was The Founder Of The Miss World Pageant. His Widow Julia Morley Is Now Head Of The Pageant. Morley Started His Career In The Entertainment Business In 1945 When He Resigned His Commission To Managing A Travelling Show In Scotland And Then In 1946 Joined The Mecca Organisation As A Publicity Manager. In 1949 He Was Able To Introduce Ballroom Dancing Onto Bbc Television Through The Come Dancing Programme Encouraging Viewers To Visit Mecca's Dance Halls. In 1952 He Was Mecca's General Manager Of Dancing And Was Made A Director In 1953. With Mecca Morley Helped To Populise Bingo Which Was Played At Mecca Venues Throughout The United Kingdom. He Changed The Company From A Small Catering And Dancing Firm Into A Leading Entertainment And Catering Company In The Uk. It Employed 15 000 People And Covered Dance Halls Catering Bingo Gambling Ice-skating Rinks Bowling Alleys Discos And Several Restaurants. The Company Also Provided Catering And Entertainment Services For Several Of The Biggest Football Clubs In London; Arsenal Chelsea And Tottenham Hotspur. In 1978 He Left Mecca After A Disagreement With The Then Parent Company Grand Metropolitan Becoming Chairman Of The Belhaven Brewery Company In Scotland. Morley Was A Confirmed Supporter Of Margaret Thatcher And Also Had Political Ambition. A Resident Of Herne Hill He Nearly Won In The 1979 General Election Slashing The Labour Party 7 500 Majority Of Sam Silkin To A Mere 122 At His Local Dulwich South London. Following His Defeat He Remarked 'unlike Sam Silkin I Didn't Go To Dulwich College And To Cambridge. I Went To The College Of Hard Knocks And Last Week I Received My Doctorate. Chairman Of Mecca And Conservative Candidate For Dulwich Eric Morley Pictured With New Bride Actr...