Oh dearie me - hot on the heels of dear old Johnny Noakes, two more stalwarts of classic British TV have gone to that great goggle-box in the sky....
Roy Barraclough (who died last week) was a veteran of old-school repertory theatre (in those halcyon days when people had to slog for years before fame beckoned; unlike today when it appears all one needs to do is appear on a reality telly programme). Once he did make the jump to television, he made his name primarily in comic roles - and his spirit of self-deprecating humour made him perfect for the part of Alec Gilroy in Coronation Street, perpetually sparring with his wife Bet (née Lynch) and Rovers Return patrons alike. But it was for his long comedy partnership with "national treasure" Les Dawson for which he is most loved by us aficionados of camp innuendo - not least for his recurring part as "Cissie" to Les's "Ada":
Far more gentle was the comedy of Peter Sallis, whose death was announced today. Having trained at RADA just after the War, he had a lengthy stage career and numerous character roles on telly before (finally) in 1973 he became a household name playing "Clegg" in the BBC's longest-ever running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine. He was the only actor to appear in every single episode, until the series finally ended in 2010. To international audiences, however, he was far better known as the voice of "Wallace" in Wallace and Gromit, from which this is a classic scene:
RIP, both.
Roy Barraclough MBE (12th July 1935 – 1st June 2017)
Peter Sallis OBE (1st February 1921 – 2nd June 2017)
As your aware Last of the Summer Wine is one of my all time favorites. My favorite Clegg quotes-
ReplyDeleteClegg: "He conceived the bold idea of asking Nora Fogarty for a lift. Of her skirt. To put an end to those rumors as to what she had printed on her underwear. Some said it was the device of the Egg Marketing Board. Whatever it was, it set him off on the wrong foot. He developed this penchant for funny women, and was last seen loitering sadly outside Sugden's chemists."
Wally and Nora Batty meet "the trio" on a country road. Wally is driving a motorbike, and Nora rides in the sidecar
Clegg says to Foggy..." When you see her sitting in her chariot, you realize she's a dead ringer for Queen Boadicea."
He and that show were gems.
How about:
DeleteSid: "Wives never understand. They don't understand the masculine urge to test oneself to the limits in some alien environment."
Clegg: "Good God, that reminds me! I must go to the post office."
He was the master of "the last word"...
Jx
Ee, you doan' get that on your Hollywood telly, lad.
ReplyDeleteThey have San Fernando Valley, we have Wensleydale. Jx
Delete