That all went rather well, Gromit

As milestones go, especially when they involve a "national treasure" here in the UK, one might have expected at least a sniff of interest from what laughingly passes for "the media" in the fact that yesterday was the centenary of the birth of Peter Sallis. Nope. Shameful, really.

Not only was Mr Sallis a predominant feature of our telly screens for thirty-seven years - as the lugubrious-yet-patient "Cleggy", forever rasing his eyebrow at the hare-brained antics of his compatriots in the world's longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine; the only character to appear in all 295 episodes - he also lent his lovely dulcet tones to the madcap inventor "Wallace" in the classic Wallace and Gromit animations.

By way of a tribute to the man, it is to that series of films I turn...

Wallace and Gromit - The Wrong Trousers - Cracking Toast

Wallace and Gromit - The Wrong Trousers - Train Chase

Wallace and Gromit - Wallace favourite moments - A tribute to Peter Sallis

Peter John Sallis OBE (1st February 1921 – 2nd June 2017)

Night, Night, Gromit

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":

Cissie & Ada - The Art Gallery

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:

Wallace and Gromit - Breakfast

RIP, both.

Roy Barraclough MBE (12th July 1935 – 1st June 2017)

Peter Sallis OBE (1st February 1921 – 2nd June 2017)