Peter Martin

Peter Martin:
† Dec 1941 - April 19 2023

Distinctive, spud-nosed actor. Played the gaffer looking for building supplies in those 'They've got the Jewson lot!' TV ads from the '90s. Born in Accrington, he has cornered a small part of the market for playing Northerners of various sorts, from canny barmen and no-nonsense farmers to daft ha'porths and confused customers.

In fact, a run through his CV takes you on a whistle-stop tour of Northern comedy and drama since the late '70s. 

He's got a list.

Take for instance: 'The Liver Birds', 'A Bit Of A Do', 'The Gaffer', 'First/Last Of The Summer Wine', 'Dinnerladies' and various other Victoria Wood shows, plus 'The Royle Family', 'Rosie', 'In Loving Memory' and the 'Beiderbecke' trilogy.

Enjoying Christmas with 'The Royle Family'

To this, add a smattering of soaps and light dramas, to whit: 'Emmerdale', 'Coronation Street', 'Bergerac', Dalziel & Pascoe', 'Strangers', and so on...  


Peter Martin-imdb

Dudley Sutton

Dudley Sutton: 

† Apr 6 1933 – Sep 15 2018

The disconcerting, pug-faced Mr Sutton will be familiar to many as the eccentric Tinker from 'Lovejoy', but before that he was best known for a string of menacing, unstable young tearaways and sinister villains in some of the UK's most interesting TV and cinema. Notable films include 'The Leather Boys' (1964, as one of the screen's first openly homosexual characters), 'The Boys' (1962), 'A Town Called Bastard' (1971), 'Brimstone & Treacle' (1982), and of course Ken Russell's 'The Devils' (1971). His TV career covers the classic territory of 'The Saint', 'The Baron', 'Department S', 'Strangers' and of course, 'The Sweeney'. He was particularly good as the sinister Connie Rosenthal in 'Shine On Harvey Moon' and as the sardonic schoolteacher, Mr Carter, in 'The Beiderbecke Trilogy' by Alan Plater. I haven't seen the Gillingham FC movie 'The Shouting Men' (2010), so I won't mention it. 

Dudley Sutton in 'The Devils' (1971)

About to trigger 'a series of small explosions' in 'The Beiderbecke Affair'

Dudley Sutton - imdb

Keith Smith

Keith Smith: 

† Feb 26 1926 – Mar 30 2008

Trim, versatile, dormouse-faced actor whom I always remember as one of Spike Milligan's smiley stooges in the 'Q' series. He was also a feature of such classic TV as 'The Beiderbecke Trilogy', 'Z-Cars', 'Gurney Slade', 'Minder' (naturally), 'Worzel Gummidge', 'George & Mildred', and 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'.

'The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins' (1971) - the RAC man
spots the badge on Ian Carmichael's roller... 

As the punctillious headmaster in 'The Beiderbecke Connection'

Keith Smith - imdb