Cast with Fans Page
“Were You Being Served?” Event”
(The following image and description was used with kind permission by Anthony Rosato (Managing Director for Don Capo Entertainment Productions)).
“Trevor Bannister, star from the British Television sitcom Are you Being Served is seated at the Wessex Hotel in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, arm wrestling. Trevor kindly posed for encouragement to Frances Read a stroke survivor, who was the first woman and person to be implanted with multiple bionic implants to assist her paralysis and recovery from suffering a stroke.”
“Trevor Bannister had described his own experiences of stroke in his own family and the hardship and reality it brings home, and gave his support to Frances Read who was at the time being pursued by the media for her inside story of this remarkable medical breakthrough.”
“Frances said she had been exercising in Southampton University Hospital with the electronic manager for the five bionic implants using a can of Red Bull, explaining “it really does give you wings”. The aim of the implants were to create a course of therapy to reconnect the brain and stimulate the ability to use the muscles again by creating a memory that is wiped out when suffering stroke. Frances explained she was not a stroke victim, and just a survivor. She went on to say stroke victims die.”
“Trevor Bannister invited the whole entourage at the event to his theatre play in Poole, Dorset later that evening.”
(Image and info used with kind permission from Anthony Rosato).
“The event was the Summer Fayre for the Royal Theatrical Fund in 2005. That’s the “summer looking” picture.”
“I was thrilled to meet him, as I had watched “Are You Being Served” in America before I moved here to the UK and never thought I’d get the chance to meet him…ever! He’s a very nice man.”
“The picture of Frank and his wife and I was taken at the Royal Theatrical Fund Christmas Party in 2004.”
“Bert Kwouk(middle) (Pink Panther, Last of The Summer Wine), and my husband John.”
“The 2005 Summer Fayre theme was actually “Last of the Summer Wine” and there were various cast members in attendance. Frank usually can be found at the Royal Theatrical Fund events.”
(Images and info used with kind permission from Lynn Briggs).
“These pictures were taken in Aberdeen when Debenhams store opened there in the mid 80’s.”
(Images and info used with kind permission from Pamela Duncan).
“I first met John Inman in the early 70s,when I went to see a play he was in,and enjoyed it so much I went to the stage door to see him,and say what a laugh the evening had been[this was the first time I had ever done this]. His first words were what is Thursday’s date, he was about to make a phone call, and said wait I won’t be long.”
“He then come to speak to us, and was so lovely, and invited us to see him in pantomime.”
“My daughter Melody was a schoolgirl,and so we went to see him that Christmas, he had remembered us, we went to take a photo, and the camera failed to flash, so John got another actor to go to his dressing room to get his camera it was an instant photo,and Melody was thrilled, from then on we were devoted fans, and John gave us tickets to see him at recordings.”
This is a photo of Melody as a school girl in the 70s, taken with John’s camera.
“Over the years we went to book signings,shop openings,radio recordings variety shows summer shows,and of course plays,including Charlies Aunt, My Fat Friend, Why Not Stay to Breakfast,and the wonderful AYBS followed by Grace and Favour.”
“My daughter Melody and I use to meet up with two other fans and we became great friends so with Irene and Marilyn we were known as the four diehards,our holidays were planned whereever John was appearing and was at the show each evening,travelling all over the country,as the years went by,I started doing charity work for John at theatres[and in Mother Goose panto I saw it over 100 times] I also done a surprise stall at a yearly charity in London.”
“But it was the magic of seeing John acting which was so brilliant,and on occasions doing a summer show he would use our names in the sketches. So many wonderful memories of the 100 of times we see John,and also the awful sadness of John’s passing,at his funeral it was all so unreal as we stood looking at the wonderful display of spring flowers on the coffin.”
“Ron, John’s partner, told us to take some flowers from it,I dried mine,but my daughter took a spray of forget me nots and managed to get some roots to grow, last year she had several plants , but this year her front garden was full of blue a constant reminder of John, and blue was his favourite colour.”
“We attended the Grand Order of the Water Rats show in memory of John,and then the thanks giving of John’s life before his birthday in 2008.”
“So very many treasured memories,John was part of our lives for so many years. My daughter Melody From that schoolgirl in the 70s married and her two children also became great fans loving to see John in panto. So becoming a third generation of fans, and remembering the lovely Wendy Richard,and now the sad passing of the wonderful Mollie, plus the other members of AYBS who made it such a success.”
A fun photo taken with John sitting on my lap after a show, in his dressing room at the Victoria Palace London.
Melody at the opening of a shoe shop with John.
John and I in the Isle of Man doing a charity in his name.
John, Melody and myself.
John and I at a charity occasion.
Early 70s photo-John-Wendy Richard-Melody myself-my two grandchildren-Annette and Ricky-BBC studios.
Mrs. Inman (John’s mum)-John and me.
Taken at TV studios Southampton for publication after recording “Take a Letter Mr. Jones”.
(The 9 images and info used with kind permission from Joyce Powell who had a John Inman Tribute page with many more photos of John Inman).
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