{{Short description|British businessman}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Joseph Warren Basil Newby''' {{post-nominals|MBE}} (born 1 October 1951) is an English entrepreneur and businessman. Simply known as Basil, he was born in the Fylde coast town of Blackpool, Lancashire, where he has lived and worked all his life.
Newby worked as a bluecoat at Pontins in the early 1970s.<ref name="Collinson" /> His first business was the 'Gone Gay' fancy goods shop in Blackpool.<ref name="Collinson" /> In 1979 Newby took over The Flamingo, a nightclub on Talbot Road, which he reopened as Blackpool's first gay nightclub, later expanding to use more of the building, with capacity for 2,000 customers.<ref name="Collinson" /><ref name="Parveen">Parveen, Niza (2007) "[http://www.blackpoolcitizen.co.uk/news/1852709.gone_but_not_forgotten/?s=s Gone But Not Forgotten]", ''Blackpool Citizen'', 23 November 2007, retrieved 2011-07-17</ref> He has since expanded his '''In The Pink Leisure Ltd''' empire to include several bars.<ref name="Collinson" />
The Flamingo building was demolished in 2007, but Newby went on further success with his burlesque show ''Funny Girls'', which has been described as "a Broadway musical meets rock concert meets Lily Savage", adding millions of pounds to his fortune.<ref name="Collinson" /><ref name="Parveen" />
In 2003, Newby reportedly had a personal fortune of over £15 million.<ref name="Collinson">Collinson, Paul (2003) "[https://www.theguardian.com/guardian_jobs_and_money/story/0,3605,1060226,00.html Signing up for the millionaire's club as a winner in the mind game]", ''The Guardian'', 11 October 2003, retrieved 2011-07-17</ref>
Newby was awarded an MBE in the 2014 New Year Honours list.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-25549432|title=Show bar owner given honours award|date=30 December 2013|accessdate=19 November 2017|website=Bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newby, Basil}} Category:20th-century English businesspeople Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:1951 births Category:21st-century English businesspeople Category:People from Blackpool