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Frank McGroarty is a writer who has crossed many platforms and challenges in his life.   But growing up in his hometown of Greenock, Scotland, his early aspirations were focused more on performing in front of an audience as opposed to writing.

As a former Ballroom Dancer and a Butlins Redcoat, he developed a passion for performing and entertaining in front of an audience.   His Broadcasting Career has seen him work as a reporter for local and community radio and TV stations.

His writing career started in journalism, where over a 15-year period, produced articles for many of the UK’s top newspapers and magazines, eventually moving to online publications through his own web magazines, which he continues to do to this day.

As an Author, he has written five books, two non-fiction and three non -fiction, which includes the recently released third instalment of his Butlins Trilogy.

Born in 1963, Frank discovered a childhood talent as a ballroom dancer which led to him joining the Scotland Latin American Formation Team at the age of sixteen. The Team was a regular feature on the BBC Television’s “Come Dancing” programme as well as competing in iconic entertainment venues like Blackpool’s Winter Gardens and London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Two years later, his dancing experience landed him a position as a Redcoat at Butlins Holiday Camp at Ayr in Scotland, where for the next three summer seasons; he developed a passion for performing in front of an audience, as a Compere and Entertainer, which included performing stand-up comedy spots.

After Butlins, Frank became involved with several local broadcasting projects before his writing career started to take shape in 1992 when he began a fifteen-year career as a freelance print journalist.

In 1997 he combined print journalism with online reporting, developing a partnership with professional photographer Gordon Newlands, resulting in the successful American Football Website Hot Iron (1997 – 2012) which was named in the 2007 Good UK Web Guide.

He continued to focus his writing on numerous online projects as well as scripting and producing his own radio shows for Radio Nova FM (Spain) and internet station More Music Radio.

In 2011, he developed his own blog site, where one chapter focussing on his treatment for Thyroid Cancer during 2013 was transformed into the publication of the free e book “The Thyroid Diaries.”

Back to full health in 2014, Frank entered a new and exciting chapter in his writing career when he spent the next twelve months working on his debut novel, part one of a Butlins Trilogy, “What Time Does Midnight Cabaret Start,” which he, working alongside Gordon Newlands published in January 2015.

Having focussed on his writing for the past few years, Frank returned to performing in 2016 for a few years as a member of the “Dunoon Redcoats,” a group of former Butlins Redcoats and Entertainers, performing in charity shows in the area.

Having rediscovered his “performing mojo,” he returned to studio recording, completing audiobook versions of “What Time Does Midnight Cabaret Start” and “Don’t Mention Hi De Hi!”.

The broadcasting projects continue throughout 2021, continuing his weekend show for Spanish radio station, More FM and presenting and producing “The Late Lunchtime Experience,” for Scottish station, Indy Live Radio

January 2021, marked the release of the final instalment of the Butlins Ayr Trilogy, “How do they get the Donkeys up the stairs?’ in Paperback and E Book, with an audio version currently in production

Then in May, Frank was present with a new challenge, when he was diagnosed with Dyslexia, which he insists will have no effect on his writing and broadcasting projects, in fact he is looking forward to what is going to be an exciting time during the coming months.

Future plans will include moving away from his Holiday Camp past, with a novel based on American Football as well as a series of short stories.

Not forgetting future performances in his Redcoat Uniform, which because of current restrictions will be virtual just now, along with the current “Mrs Frankie Boy” of course!