Bernard Cribbins

[pdeaves]

In case not already seen, Bernard Cribbins, star of 1970's 'Railway Children', passed away today. Here is the BBC's obit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13099773

Obituary: Bernard Cribbins

Actor, comedian, singer and raconteur: he had a go at everything from Shakespeare to pantomime, Jackanory to Top of the Pops.

He was the voice of the Wombles, Catherine Tate's cuddly grandpa in Doctor Who, and the irate-but-soft-hearted station master who tugged at our heartstrings in the 1970 film The Railway Children.

When he was nearly 90, he published an autobiography looking back on his years in show business in 2018. Its title was Bernard Who? 75 Years Of Doing Absolutely Everything - and its advice was simple.

"Do your best and be grateful for every single job"....

(edit: typo corrected)

 

[DarloRich]

that is very sad news. A fixture on Jackanory.

 

[hexagon789]

Thats a real shame, I know him (and I'm sure many others do as well), from so many different things - speaks volumes to his versatility.

The orginal Railway Children of course, but also the appearances he made in Doctor Who both the second film, Daleks' Ivasion Earth: 2150 AD, with Peter Cushing and the revival TV series with David Tennant; his memorable appearance as Mr Hutchinson in Fawlty Towers; but I think the one thing that I remember him most from and likely my earliest memory of him as an actor (though I wouldn't have known it at the time) was as the narrator and voices in the Wombles.

I'm sure there are other films and programmes he's appeared in that I've seen as well, but those are the roles I best remember.

 

[westv]

I thought he was already dead!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I thought he was already dead!

Indeed my reaction when I heard the news was "he was still alive? Wow!"

Still sad news of course. Perhaps now he'll get that cup of tea!

 

[Busaholic]

I remember him first for his two early 1960s chart records 'Hole in the Ground' and 'Right Said Fred' (don't know which came first) on the Parlophone label, vying with another label signing The Beatles for prominence in radio play! I also remember my mother telling me 'oh, he was engaged to your second cousin a few years ago', but his name never came up again in conversation.

 

[C J Snarzell]

I believe he was still doing radio work until very recently. Not bad for someone in their early 90s. I do recall he was in quite a few programmes when I was a child, but I haven't seen him in much in recent years. I read his autobiography a few years ago and it was an enjoyable book by a clever & whitty man. RIP Bernard.

CJ

 

[BrandanM]

He also starred in a railway related episode of Tales Of The Unexpected titled 'The Memory Man' from 1983 in which he played a safe-cracker unable to remember the combination to the station luggage locker where he's stashed a bag. It was repeated the other night on Sky Arts as a tribute.

Don't know if it's actually a real train station that features in the programme.

 

[32475]

He was one of my boyhood favourites. Does anyone else remember when he did Hornby adverts on tv in which he was shrunk down to Hornby size?

 

[nw1]

I remember him as Mr Hutchison, the spoon-salesman cum-"hotel inspector" in Fawlty Towers - which I only really discovered in the late-80s, following a set of repeats.

Before that, the name did sound familiar from my childhood, but could not recall exactly from what.

 

[Bertone]

It was a shame that the couple of later Carry On films he appeared in weren’t particularly good unfortunatly.

 

[yorksrob]

I remember him as Mr Hutchison, the spoon-salesman cum-"hotel inspector" in Fawlty Towers - which I only really discovered in the late-80s, following a set of repeats.

Before that, the name did sound familiar from my childhood, but could not recall exactly from what.

Yes, a very talented man. His stint on Fawlty Towers was superb.

RIP.

 

[Trackman]

He was one of my boyhood favourites. Does anyone else remember when he did Hornby adverts on tv in which he was shrunk down to Hornby size?

Same here, you can tell he's a genuine fellow and from what I've read he was too. His talent, his warmth and personality and will be sorely missed.

I remember the adverts, but he did a flexi-disk with some Hornby train sets, well worth a listen!

 

[satisnek]

And so soon after I included 'Hole In The Ground' in the 'funniest song' thread. A supreme talent from a uniquely talented generation, the likes of which we'll never see again. RIP.

 

[Strathclyder]

Was something of a shock to read this news. I was first introduced to him through the Doctor Who revival with David Tennant. Had no idea he was in Fawlty Towers though.

RIP to a supremely talented and warm soul.