Death of Derbyshire's own Billy Elliot who danced with Princess Margaret and turned down Ginger Roger’s marriage proposal

Jackie Toaduff, owner of the Chantry Hotel, died at Chesterfield Royal Hospital on Sunday after a short illness at the age of 89.

His best friend Mike Elrick, who first met Jackie 42 years ago, said: “I was with him at the end and he passed away peacefully. I am heartbroken – he was my life. He was loved by so many people.”

Mike said that Jackie had tested positive for Covid after they had been on holiday over Christmas and New Year during which time Jackie developed a cough. “It got onto his chest and as he had a weak heart for years the doctors were concerned about his oxygen levels,” said Mike. “They took him into hospital and he developed pneumonia.”

Jackie had owned the hotel on Church Street, Dronfield, for more than 40 years and passed on the ownership to his best friend. Mike said: “My intention is not to change anything, keep it just the way Jackie would like it. Jackie was always mine host.”

The Chantry’s social media has been flooded with tributes. James Fair posted: “Dronfield has lost an icon, our own Billy Elliot.” Ruby Sayles commented: “One of the sweetest souls I have ever met.” Craig Wilson posted: “RIP Jackie, hang your dancing shoes up, you smashed it.”

Jackie earned his Billy Elliot nickname after going against his mother’s wishes as a boy by learning to dance in secret in the Durham pit community where he grew up.

He won a national clog dancing competition hosted by the English Folksong and Dance Society and his link with the society saw him make front page news. Princess Margaret, who was patron of the society, danced with Jackie in 1955, much to the delight of press photographers who captured the beautiful royal and the Geordie miner. The following day Jackie was back down the pit where he was employed for nearly 12 years.

Teaming up with ex-Sheffield tailor and dancer Roland Roy – who later became known as Roy Toaduff – Jackie danced around the world then spent two decades on the QE2.

During that time Jackie danced with Ginger Rogers, his Hollywood idol from childhood, and the pair maintained a lifelong friendship despite Jackie turning down her proposal of marriage.

Jackie crossed paths with Margot Fonteyn, Merle Oberon, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney and Larry Hagman during his career as an entertainer. His celebrity stories were shared with the world in his book Coaldust to Stardust which was published in 2009.

Roy and Jackie, together with their manager Colin Edwardes, bought the Chantry Hotel with the aim of hosting entertainers. Mike Elrick said: “They fell in lovel with the place, bought it and turned it into the place they loved.”

But the lead-up to Jackie and Roy buying the Chantry was decidedly spooky. They had initially looked at Park Hall Country Club at Spinkhill but that fell through. Mike said: “They were living in Sheffield and Jackie got a phone call from a woman who said she was a medium, that she had heard about their experience of Park Hall and that she knew of another place. The woman said ‘It’s crying out for you and it’s the Chantry Hotel.’

On a dark rainy night Jackie and assistant Stuart Hammond decided to go for a drive and look for the Chantry Hotel but couldn’t find it. They popped into the Green Dragon for a drink, asked the landlady where the Chantry was and found out it was next door.

Jackie and Stuart decided to take a look at the hotel that night, went to the front door and found that it was unlocked. They flicked the light switch and the room lit up. Mike said: “It was like Great Expectations, covered in cobwebs and the people who had been in it 18 months before had obviously left very suddenly.”

The following day arrangements were made to view the property with an estate agent who warned them that the building was in a state while he unlocked the door. Jackie said that he knew because he’d seen it the night before, much to the amazement of the agent who said all the locks had been changed and the electricity turned off!

As soon as Jackie and Roy had bought the hotel, they were offered a job aboard the QE2 and left Stuart Hammond to run the Chantry Hotel in their absence. Mike said: “They were quite reluctant to go as they had retired but they were enticed with the best cabins and good wages. They were the first act to receive a standing ovation on the ship.”

Jackie helped Mike get a job in catering on the QE2 after initially meeting him when Mike was working in a hotel and Jackie was a customer. MIke said: “I used to joke with Jackie that he’d be doing his entertaner job once or twice a week and then be sunbathing while I’d be doing the hard work and stepping over him while he was having a cocktail on the deck.”

Roy passed away five years ago, followed five weeks later by Stuart who had been with Jackie and Roy for more than 50 years. Mike said: “When Jackie was left on his own, I retired from the job I was doing in York and went to the Chantry Hotel.”

Jackie’s funeral service will be held at St John the Baptist Church, Dronfield, on March 30 at 12 noon, followed by cremation at Hutcliffe Wood, Sheffield, at 1.15pm.