Kenneth Waller (5 November 1927 – 28 January 2000) was an English actor. He was known for portraying Grandad in '' Bread'' and Old Mr. Grace in ''

Are You Being Served? ''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London ...

Early life

Kenneth Waller was born in Lowerhouses

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

on 5 November 1927. In

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

during the depression, he moved to

Hythe, Hampshire Hythe () is a town near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton. Hythe has a small shopping area, a pier, and a marina for yachts. History The name ...

in the

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...

and they were living there at the breakout of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1940 his family returned to his native Huddersfield.Huddersfield Daily Examiner - 27 February 1989 Waller left school aged 16 and worked as a wages clerk until being called up for

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 ...

. In 1949, he was a member of the Christ Church Woodhouse men's choir. After serving in the

Royal Air Force 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 ...

as a Radar Mechanic, Waller worked for a firm of auctioneers.

Career

Experience in local rep at the

Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfor ...

encouraged him to move to London, where he made his West End debut in

Julian Slade Julian Penkivil Slade (28 May 1930 – 17 June 2006) was an English writer of musical theatre, best known for the show ''Salad Days'', which he wrote in six weeks in 1954, and which became the UK's longest-running show of the 1950s, with over ...

and

Dorothy Reynolds Dorothy Reynolds (26 January 1913 – 7 April 1977) was a British writer and actress. She is mainly known for writing a number of musicals in collaboration with Julian Slade. The best known were ''Salad Days "Salad days" is a Shakespearean ...

' 1957 musical ''

Free as Air ''Free as Air'' is a musical with lyrics by Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade and music by Julian Slade. They are the same team responsible for the much better known musical ''Salad Days'', although ''Free as Air'' is said to be "more slick and ...

''. He was later in the original cast of '' Give a Dog a Bone'' in 1964, and took over various roles in various other London productions such as ''

Salad Days "Salad days" is a Shakespearean idiom referring to a period of carefree innocence, idealism, and pleasure associated with youth. The modern use, chiefly in the United States, describes a heyday, when a person is/was at the peak of their abilitie ...

'' and '' Anne of Green Gables: The Musical''. Waller was also associated the

Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London. The theatre Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary� ...

, but always looked forward to the times when his work took him on location further afield, including Rome,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

. An excellent pianist and an ardent lover of classical and choral music, Waller was extremely knowledgeable on the subject of oratorio and sang with Anthony Bowles' Actors' choir and the

BBC Chorus There have been three choirs named The BBC Chorus in the history of the British Broadcasting Corporation. * 1. Today's BBC Symphony Chorus. Founded in 1928 as the BBC National Chorus, it changed its name to the BBC Chorus in 1932, before changing ...

. He also appeared as the Narrator in ''

Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...

'', and

Carl Davis Carl Davis, (born October 28, 1936) is an American-born conductor and composer who has lived in the United Kingdom since 1961. He has written music for more than 100 television programmes, but is best known for creating music to accompany si ...

wrote a special concert piece, "Duck's Diary," for him. From the fifties to the seventies, his career as an actor saw him appear on both television and film. On the big screen, he had modest roles in '' Room at the Top'' (1959), '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968), '' Scrooge'' (1970), '' Fiddler on the Roof'' (1971) and ''

Carry On Behind ''Carry On Behind'' is a 1975 British comedy film, the 27th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). It was the first entry in the series not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since ''Carry On Cruising'' 13 years previousl ...

'' (1975). Other small screen credits included '' Big Deal'', ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'', ''

The Fenn Street Gang ''The Fenn Street Gang'' is a British television sitcom which ran for three seasons between 1971 and 1973. Created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, it was a spin-off from their popular '' Please Sir!'' series. Synopsis The series follows the l ...

'', ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' The Professionals'', ''

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 ...

'', '' All Creatures Great and Small'', ''

Terry and June ''Terry and June'' is a BBC television sitcom, which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The show was largely a reworking of '' Happy Ever After'', and starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-aged, middle-class suburban couple, T ...

'' and ''

Juliet Bravo ''Juliet Bravo'' is a British television police procedural drama series, first broadcast on 30 August 1980, that ran for six series and a total of 88 episodes on BBC1. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over con ...

''. Waller also portrayed the father of

Curly Watts Norman Arthur "Curly" Watts is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', from 1983 to 2003, and in a few spin-off DVDs in 2010. He was portrayed throughout by Kevin Kennedy. Most of Curly's storylines dealt ...

in ''

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 1981, he joined the cast of ''

'' as Old Mr. Grace. Waller also made an appearance in the Series 5 episode, "Boxing Day Social", on ''

On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...

'', as well appearing in the 1984 miniseries, ''

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mi ...

'' and even lending his voice for ''

Romuald the Reindeer {{Infobox television , image = , caption = , alt_name = , genre = Animated , creator = Robin LyonsAndrew Offiler , writer = Roger PlanerRobin LyonsAndrew Offi ...

''.Hollywood.com
/ref> In 1986, Waller became a household name as Grandad in

Carla Lane Romana Barrack (5 August 1928 – 31 May 2016), known professionally as Carla Lane, was an English television writer responsible for several successful British sitcoms, including '' The Liver Birds'' (co-creator, 1969–1979), ''Butterflies'' (1 ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

sitcom, '' Bread'' and his catchphrase, "Where's my tea?", quickly caught on with the viewing public. Waller continued to stay in touch with the theatre during the final years of his life, touring successfully with

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...

's classic black comedy, ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' and appearing in a musical version of ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

, in 1998.

Personal life and death

Despite his television fame, Waller never lost his affection for Yorkshire, taking great pride in retaining both his accent and his many friends within the Huddersfield Choral Society. Kenneth Waller died on 28 January 2000 in London, England at the age of 72, after a brief illness. He never married.

Filmography

*''

'' (1963-1977, TV Series) - Wilfred Wilson / Pianist / Fred Jones / Stanley Collins *'' Room at the Top'' (1959) - Reggie (uncredited) *''

'' (1964, TV Series) - Mr. Hardgreaves *''Mr. Brown Comes Down the Hill'' (1965) - Journalist / Patron of the Bar *''A Game of Murder'' (1966, TV Series) - Dr. Hasting *'' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968) - Inventor #4 *'' Softly, Softly'' (1970, TV Series) - Potter *'' Scrooge'' (1970) - Party Guest (uncredited) *''

The Onedin Line ''The Onedin Line'' is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, nam ...

'' (1971, TV Series) - Drayman *''

'' (1971, TV Series) - Busman *'' Fiddler on the Roof'' (1971) - (uncredited) *''

The Love Pill ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1972) - Professor Edwards *''

'' (1972-1974, TV Series) - Dealer / Porter *'' Menace'' (1973, TV Series) - Manager *''Doctor on the Go'' (1975, TV Series) - Mr. Pole *''

'' (1975) - Barman *'' The Venetian Twins'' (1976, TV Movie) *''

'' (1977, Episode: " The Invisible Enemy") - Hedges *''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

'' (1977, TV Series) - Warehouse Transport Manager *''

The Mayor of Casterbridge ''The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character'' is an 1886 novel by the English author Thomas Hardy. One of Hardy's Wessex novels, it is set in a fictional rural England with Casterbridge standing in for Dorchester in ...

'' (1978, TV Mini-Series) - Clerk of Court *''

The Famous Five ''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures ...

'' (1978, TV Series) - Enemy Agent *'' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1980, TV Series) - Mr. Ronald Beresford *''

'' (1981, TV Series) - Old Mr. Henry Grace *''

'' (1982, TV Series) - Sidney Dorkins *''Fair Ground!'' (1983, TV Series) - Mr. Grant *''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'' (1984, TV Series) - Roland *''

'' (1984, TV Mini-Series) - Shepherd #1 *'' Big Deal'' (1984-1986, TV Series) - Ferret *'' The Optimist'' (1985, TV Series) - Solicitor *''Roll Over Beethoven'' (1985, TV Series) - Mr. Beckett *''

The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to s ...

'' (1985, TV Series) - Fogg *''

The Beiderbecke Affair ''The Beiderbecke Affair'' is a television series produced in the United Kingdom by ITV during 1985, written by the prolific Alan Plater, whose lengthy credits in British television since the 1960s included the four-part mini series ''Get Lost! ...

'' "Harry the Supergrass" (1985) *'' Bread'' (1986-1991, TV Series) - Grandad *''

Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...

'' (1987, TV Series) - Mr. Newell *''

'' (1988, TV Series) - Arthur Watts,

's father *''

Romuald the Reindeer {{Infobox television , image = , caption = , alt_name = , genre = Animated , creator = Robin LyonsAndrew Offiler , writer = Roger PlanerRobin LyonsAndrew Offi ...

'' (1996, TV Series) - Grandpa Ivy (voice)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waller, Kenneth 1927 births 2000 deaths English male television actors English male voice actors Male actors from Huddersfield 20th-century English male actors 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel