Bella Nuggett is back! That is the message from entertainer Eddie Davidson, who is hoping to return to the stage after years battling depression following the loss of his sight.
He created the character of Bella in the early 1970s and made frequent appearances across Dundee.
Eddie was named citizen of the year in 2002 for his charity work but the following year received the news that he had glaucoma.
Despite operations on both eyes, he was left registered blind. It sent him into a long depression that he is only now emerging from.
Eddie is planning to start a concert party to entertain at sheltered housing complexes and such and is seeking volunteers to join him.
That means Bella will once again be entertaining audiences with her distinctively Dundonian take on life. She has been a big part of Eddie’s life, whose entry to showbusiness came as a 15-year-old singing at the old Palace Theatre and who went on to become a comedian.
But Bella has rarely been heard from since her creator fell ill.
The former janitor at St Mary’s Primary in Lochee said, “I started bumping into school kids. The tests showed it was glaucoma and, by the time I got to Ninewells, it was in an advanced state.
“I had an operation on my left eye and a year later on my right but you can’t undo the damage.”
Used to being active, Eddie struggled to cope, resulting in a long spell of depression. With the support of his family and his friends Bob and Marion Petrie, he has gradually returned to something like his old self but admits that things will never be the same as before.
“I can’t go back to doing big shows. The spotlights are no use to me now. I need help with my make-up and getting me on stage although I am okay once I am up there as long as I don’t go too near the front!”
Anyone interested in forming a concert party with Eddie can contact him on Dundee 322552.