Bryan Mosley
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Bryan Mosley (25 August 1931 – 9 February 1999) was a British
actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
, best known for his role as grocer
Alf Roberts Alfred Sidney "Alf" Roberts, OBE is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Bryan Mosley. He ran a grocery shop at No. 15 and was involved in local politics, including two spells as mayor of ...
in the long-running
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
''.


Early life

Mosley was born in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, an only child, to Agnes Basquill, a print worker, and Jimmy Mosley, a labourer at a dye factory. He attended Leeds Central High School and made his stage debut, aged 10, as the back end of a cow in the
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
. He modelled for clothes catalogues and held a childhood ambition to become a missionary. Instead, aged 13, Mosley won a scholarship to
Leeds College of Art Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds. History It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Scho ...
, where he studied from 1944 to 1946, and subsequently worked as a commercial artist. He also worked in a bookshop, as a drama teacher and sold encyclopaedias door-to-door. In 1950, Mosley's father, a smoker and heavy drinker, died from a heart attack. His mother subsequently remarried, a marriage which Mosley did not approve of, and he remained estranged from his mother until her death. In 1952, after
national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...
in the
RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, working in
air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
just outside
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
and in Scotland, Mosley trained as an actor at the Bradford Civic Theatre and
Esme Church Esme Church (10 February 1893 – 31 May 1972) was a British actress and theatre director. In a long career she acted with the Old Vic Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and on Broadway. She directed plays for the Old Vic, became head of the ...
's Northern Theatre School. He then toured with the New Pilgrim Players, playing in churches, abbeys, pubs and prisons, before working in
repertory theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...
in
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
,
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
and
Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...
.


Coronation Street

Mosley joined the cast of ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
'' in February 1961 (episode 18), and made recurrent appearances until 1963, as
Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
worker Alfred "Alf" Roberts, a colleague of Frank Barlow. He returned to the series briefly in 1967, before re-joining as a regular cast member in 1971. Alf became best known as the owner of the
Corner Shop A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery tick ...
, local councillor and twice Mayor of
Weatherfield Weatherfield is a fictional town based on Salford, Greater Manchester, which has been the setting for the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since its inception in 1960. Much of Weatherfield has been seen by viewers throughout the y ...
in 1973 and 1994. His character was married three times: initially to Phyllis Plant (1946–1970), who did not appear onscreen; secondly to
Renee Bradshaw Irene "Renee" Roberts (also Bradshaw) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Madge Hindle. The character was created by producer Bill Podmore as a new shop keeper. He wanted a mature female t ...
(1978–1980); and latterly to
Audrey Roberts Audrey Roberts (also Potter) is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Sue Nicholls. Audrey made her first appearance on 16 April 1979 and appeared on a recurring basis for three years until April 1982. ...
, from 1985 onwards. Mosley's appearances in the soap opera became less frequent following a serious heart attack in 1997, causing him to take eight months off from the show. After 37 years, and almost 2,000 episodes, his character was to be written out of the serial. Mosley, upset at the prospect of his character's demise, refused to act out his final dying scene, until
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
bosses offered him ten times his usual rate to play the scene. Alf Roberts made his last appearance on
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
1999, dying peacefully on screen in his sleep, watched by more than 18 million viewers. He received a standing ovation from the cast on set. Mosley recorded his final scenes on 4 December 1998, and died six weeks later from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
. Mosley also appeared with the ''Coronation Street'' cast in the 1989
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
, and a 1990
LWT London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
special, ''Happy Birthday, Coronation Street!'', hosted by
Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...
celebrating 30 years of the soap.


Other roles

Mosley made his screen debut in the film '' A Kind of Loving'' (1962). He also appeared in ''
Get Carter ''Get Carter'' is a 1971 British crime film written and directed by Mike Hodges in his directorial debut and starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, Britt Ekland and Bryan Mosley. Based on Ted Lewis's 1970 novel ''Jack's Return Hom ...
'' (1971) playing local gangster Cliff Brumby. He is famously killed by Jack Carter (
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...
), who beats him up and throws him from the roof of the Trinity Square
multi-storey car park A multistorey car park (British and Singapore English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistory, parking building, parking structure, parkade (mainly Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck or indoor parking, is a build ...
in
Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
, after discovering Brumby's involvement in his brother's death. He played alien dignitary Malpha and a Prop Man on a film set in the ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' serial ''
The Daleks' Master Plan ''The Daleks' Master Plan'' is the Doctor Who missing episodes, mostly missing third serial of the Doctor Who (season 3), third season in the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which orig ...
'' in 1965 and made two appearances in '' The Avengers''. Mosley also had small roles in ''
Z Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debuted ...
'', ''Crossroads'', ''
A Family at War ''A Family At War'' is a British drama Television program, series that aired on ITV (TV network), ITV from 1970 to 1972. It was created by John Finch and made by ITV Granada, Granada Television for ITV. The original producer was Richard Doubled ...
'' and as the pub landlord in '' Queenie's Castle''. Mosley performed alongside Arthur Haynes,
Harry Worth Harry Bourlon Illingsworth (20 November 1917 – 20 July 1989), professionally known as Harry Worth, was an English comedy actor, comedian and ventriloquist. Worth portrayed a charming, gentle and genial character, totally bemused by life, ...
and
Dick Emery Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981. Life and career Richard Gilbert Emery was ...
in their television shows. In addition, he appeared in commercials for Watney's, alongside
Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working i ...
, in an advertisement for Albert's Crisps, as well as using his stunt skills to swing from a huge chandelier, sword in hand, in an unscreened advertisement for a cereal. In October 1997, he was the subject of '' This is Your Life'', being surprised by
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television newsreader and host of programmes such as '' Crackerjack'', ''Aspel & Company'', ''Give Us a Clue'', '' This is Your Life'', '' Strange but True?'' and ''Antiques Ro ...
on the set of ''Coronation Street''. The episode went out on 3 November. Tributes were paid by actor
Paul Shane Paul Shane (born George Frederick Speight; 19 June 1940 – 16 May 2013) was a British actor and comedian. He was known for his television work, in particular playing Ted Bovis in ''Hi-de-Hi!'', a 1980s BBC sitcom. Early life Shane was born o ...
and actress
Kathy Staff Kathy Staff (born Minnie Higginbottom; 12 July 1928 – 13 December 2008) was an English actress known for her work on British television. She is best known for her portrayal of Nora Batty in ''Last of the Summer Wine'', the longest running sit ...
. He was joined by the cast of ''Coronation Street''.


Fight arranger

While performing in repertory theatre, Mosley used the fencing skills he learned in the RAF to direct the fights in a production of ''
Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...
'', in Perth, and at the Theatre Royal, York, for ''Henry IV''. He fenced with
Terence Stamp Terence Henry Stamp (born 22 July 1938) is an English actor. Stamp is known for his sophisticated villain roles. He was named by ''Empire Magazine'' as one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995. He has received various accolades inc ...
in the film ''
Far from the Madding Crowd ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in ''Cornhill Magazine'', where it gained a wide readership. The novel is set in ...
'', and taught fencing in schools around Leeds. Mosely was also a fight director, and coached
Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...
,
Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of t ...
and
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...
, who needed to look like a fencer for a photo-session. He was a founder member of the Society of British Fight Directors, intended to regulate fighting on stage and screen, and he arranged the ''Get Carter'' fight with Caine. He also endowed a fencing award at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...
. Mosley was sometimes credited as Buddy Windrush.


Personal life and death

Mosley married schoolteacher and childhood sweetheart Norma Bowes in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, on 25 July 1956. The couple first met in the early 1940s whilst they both attended a local Youth club, at the Belle Vue Methodist Church, and after an engagement of four years, the pair remained married until Mosley's death. They had six children between 1957 and 1966; three sons (Jonathan, Bernard and Leonard) and three daughters (Jacqueline, Simone and Helen). The family lived in Nab Wood, near Shipley,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
. Mosley was a practising
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
who had made at least one pilgrimage to
Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Château ...
. He was awarded an honorary degree from the
University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a Public university, public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be creat ...
. Mosley was a keen painter and trained at the
Leeds College of Art Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds. History It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Scho ...
. He was an honorary member of the British Watercolours Society,
Ilkley Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, in Northern England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the ...
, where he regularly exhibited his work. Mosley also wrote a regular column for ''
The Weekly News ''The Weekly News'' was a British national newspaper founded in 1855 and published every Wednesday by the Dundee newspaper chain DC Thomson. Billed as "the paper with the feelgood factor," it contained news and features on a broad range of su ...
''. In later life he began to suffer from cardiac troubles, and suffered his first heart attack in 1991. After a second more serious heart attack in 1997, he lost four stone in weight. In addition, Mosley had respiratory problems, and was told by producers of ''Coronation Street'' to leave the programme, ultimately leading him to give up his role as Alf Roberts. On 9 February 1999, Mosley collapsed in the street outside the Market Hall, Westgate, near his home in Shipley. His wife was by his side and he was immediately taken to
Bradford Royal Infirmary Bradford Royal Infirmary is a large teaching hospital in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and is operated by the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The infirmary is affiliated with the Leeds School of Medicine The School ...
, but died on arrival from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
, aged 67. His funeral took place a week later, on 16 February 1999, at St Mary and St Walburga Church, Shipley, attended by relatives and close friends, including
Eileen Derbyshire Eileen Derbyshire, MBE (born 6 October 1931) is an English retired actress, best known for her role as Emily Bishop in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She played the character for 55 years from January 1961 to January 2016 ...
. Following the private ceremony, Mosley was cremated at Nab Wood Crematorium, Shipley, with his ''Coronation Street'' character's trademark
trilby A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). ''Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style''. Barnes & Noble. and ...
laid on his coffin; a brass band played "
For All The Saints "For All the Saints" was written as a processional hymn by William Walsham How, who was ultimately the Anglican Bishop of Wakefield. The hymn was first printed in ''Hymns for Saints' Days, and Other Hymns'', by Earl Nelson, 1864. Tune The hymn ...
". His widow, Norma, asked fans to light a candle in the window of their homes in tribute, stating "Although the ceremony is a private event, people can join us in spirit and place a lighted candle for Bryan in their window." A public memorial service was later held at
Salford cathedral The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, usually known as Salford Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral on Chapel Street in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Salford and mother church of the Diocese of Sal ...
, attended by more than 300 people, with members of the ''Coronation Street'' cast and the show's creator
Tony Warren Anthony McVay Simpson (8 July 1936 – 1 March 2016) publishing under pen name Tony Warren, was an English television screenwriter and actor, best known for creating the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He created other television dramas a ...
paying tribute. In respect, filming schedules were rearranged by
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
to enable cast members to attend.Bryan Mosley obituary
bbc.co.uk; retrieved 28 September 2014.
Norma died on 16 October 2011, aged 79.


Legacy

In 1999, a biography, ''Street Life: The Bryan Mosley Story'', by Chris Gidney, was published. As part of the ''Coronation Street'' 40th anniversary celebrations in 2000, heritage plaques were unveiled outside the
Granada Studios Old Granada Studios (known simply as Granada Studios and previously known as The Manchester Studios) is a television studio complex and events venue on Quay Street in Manchester with the facility to broadcast live and recorded television programm ...
to four of the soap opera's stars, including Mosley. The other plaques commemorated the lives of
Doris Speed Doris Speed, MBE (3 February 1899 – 16 November 1994) was an English actress, best known for her role as landlady of the Rovers Return Inn Annie Walker on ''Coronation Street'', a role she played from the programme's first episode in 1960 unt ...
,
Pat Phoenix Patricia Phoenix Booth (born Patricia Frederica Manfield; 26 November 1923 – 17 September 1986) was an English actress who became one of the first sex symbols of British television through her role as Elsie Tanner, an original cast member ...
and
Violet Carson Violet Helen Carson, OBE (1 September 1898 – 26 December 1983) was a British actress of radio, stage and television, and a singer and pianist, who had a long and celebrated career as an actress and performer during the early days of BBC Rad ...
. In 2010, as part of the show's 50th anniversary celebrations, Alf Roberts featured in a video countdown, ''The Stars of the Street: 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters''.


Filmography


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosley, Bryan 1931 births 1999 deaths English male film actors Male actors from Leeds Alumni of Leeds Arts University English Roman Catholics 20th-century English male actors People from Shipley, West Yorkshire English male soap opera actors