Tony Aitken:
With its permanently nervous, pinched expression, the face of actor Tony Aitken has been a small pale dot in the television firmament for some 40 years. Appearing in dozens of roles, almost always as a comically unassuming clerk, curate or scoutmaster, he is another of those semi-familiar TV fixtures. Early '70s appearances include: 'Porridge', 'Z-Cars', 'Love Thy Neighbour', and naturally, 'The Sweeney'. He gained a little more visibility by the early '80s, featuring as Norman Straightman in the hit and miss sketch show 'End of Part One' and in the not-classic 1977 TV remake of the classic film 'London Belongs to Me' (1948). He was also Fred the Postman in the TVS Saturday morning titting-about show 'No.73' where he longed in vain for the embraces of Ethel, as played by Sandi Toksvig. He was also seen as a lawyer in 'Coronation Street' during 2011's convoluted Fiz and John Fishwick machinations, and as a real-ale obsessed potential manager for the Queen Vic in 'EastEnders'.
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| Tony Aitken as Fred the Postman in 'No.73' |
Despite all that, the thing you probably do know him from is playing the lute while being booted around by Rowan Atkinson in the closing credits of 'Black Adder II'. I always found the minstrel's appearance confusingly similar to Baldrick's, but that's probably just me.
Tony Aitken - imdb
He was my student teacher at Hampton junior school.
ReplyDeleteWas in a great episode of Barbara and remember him in the Queen's Nose.
ReplyDeleteseen him in so many TV adverts during 1970s and '80s...
ReplyDeleteHe was my student maths teacher at East Sheen Primary in the early 70s. Best maths teacher I ever had. He left with quite a flourish to "become an actor" as we were told in assembly. Soon after I began to see him in various things, including End of Part One. Very nice man as I recall.
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