page_title: Grand Order of Water Rats
section_title: Members
hierarchical_section_title: Grand Order of Water Rats / Members
caption_attribution_description: English: Newly innaugurated 'Baby Rats', Bob and grandson Zachary Hope, emerge from Grand Order of Water Rats lunch in August 1991.
context_page_description: The Grand Order of Water Rats is a British entertainment industry fraternity and charitable organisation with some claims of freemasonry, based in London. Founded in 1889 by the music hall comedians Joe Elvin and Jack Lotto, the order is known for its high-profile membership and benevolent works.
context_section_description: Membership is limited to 180 long-serving male members of the entertainment industry plus 20 Companion Rats. Some Water Rats are household names but many are not, but all must be respected and trusted by their peers. Joining the Order is an exclusive and complicated process that involves finding a proposer and seconder within the Order, consideration by the Order's Grand Council and finally a vote which needs a large majority for success. Current members include brothers Mike Martin and Ray Martin, Kev Orkian, Derek Martin, Con and Dec Cluskey of The Bachelors, Engelbert Humperdinck, Lionel Blair, Tom O'Connor, Frank Bruno, Frazer Hines, Barry Cryer, Billy Murray, Brian May, Jimmy Osmond, Steve McFadden, Rick Wakeman, Robbie Sherman, Chas McDevitt, Andre Vincent, Joe Pasquale, Alfie Boe, Chris Emmett, Andrew Van Buren, Richard Joy, Ian Lavender, Roy Wood, David Myers and Si King (The Hairy Bikers), Kaplan Kaye and Jess Conrad.
  Past members include Bob Holness, Frank Carson, Max Bygraves, Charlie Chaplin, Peter Lorre, Peter Sellers, Don Smoothey, Danny Kaye, Davy Kaye, Ken Dodd, Laurel and Hardy, Maurice Chevalier, Bob Hope, Will Hay, Frankie Vaughan, Tommy Cooper, Ted Ray, Fred Kitchen, Les Dawson, George Martin, John Mills, Billy Butlin, David Nixon, Howard Keel, Harry Secombe, Arthur English, Charlie Chester, Jimmy Perry, Arthur Haynes, Jimmy Wheeler, Bill Pertwee, Jon Pertwee, Norman Wisdom, Paul Daniels, Bert Weedon, Roy Hudd and Nicholas Parsons,.
  Members of the order wear a small gold emblem shaped as a water rat on the left lapel of their jackets, and if one Water Rat meets another who is not wearing his emblem he is fined, with the money going to charity. Magician David Nixon wore his while appearing on television, explaining that as current King Rat he could be fined by any other member who saw him on screen without it.
  There is also a small number of Companion Rats, distinguished men from various fields of business and influence who are not performers but who have achieved recognition for their support and friendship of the Order. These include Bob Potter OBE, Vice Admiral Sir Donald Gosling (now deceased), the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Prince Michael of Kent.
caption: Newly inaugurated Bob Hope (right) emerges from ceremonies at the Hilton in London alongside grandson Zachary Hope - August 1991
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