Ted Lune (born Harold Garnett; 18 August 1920 – 7 January 1968) 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 portraying Private Len Bone in the TV series ''

The Army Game ''The Army Game'' is a British television sitcom that aired on ITV from 19 June 1957 to 20 June 1961. It was the very first ITV sitcom and was made by Granada, and created by Sid Colin. It follows the exploits of Hut 29, a dysfunctional group ...

''. He also worked in radio comedy and appeared in a couple of films. He was born in

Ainsworth Ainsworth may refer to: Places ;Canada *Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia ;United Kingdom *Ainsworth, Greater Manchester, England ;United States * Ainsworth, Indiana *Ainsworth, Iowa *Ainsworth, Nebraska *Ainsworth, Wisconsin *Ainsworth, Wa ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

. After leaving school at 15 and serving an

engineering apprentice An engineering apprenticeship in the United Kingdom is an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering or aeronautical engineering to train craftsmen, technicians, senior technicians, Incorporated Engineers and Chartered Engine ...

ship, he began entertaining people by, for example, reciting

Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...

monologues, and he became well known in the Bolton area. He married Florence Baker in 1943, and they had two daughters, Lynne and Anne. He turned professional in 1947, taking his stage name from the

River Lune The River Lune (archaically sometimes Loyne) is a river in length in Cumbria and Lancashire, England. Etymology Several elucidations for the origin of the name ''Lune'' exist. Firstly, it may be that the name is Brittonic in genesis and deriv ...

that flows through Lancashire, and his older brother's name. Harold and Florence later divorced and in 1953 he married an entertainer, Valerie J. Tanner, known professionally as Valerie Joy. In 1954, his career had stalled so he and Valerie Joy left the variety circuit and took a pub, the Raglan, in

Hulme Hulme () is an inner city area and Ward (politics), electoral ward of Manchester, England, immediately south of Manchester city centre. It has a significant industrial heritage. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, the nam ...

, just a short step from

Hulme Hippodrome The Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester, England, is a Grade 2 listed building, a proscenium arch theatre with two galleries and a side hall. It was originally known as the Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall, and opened on 7 October 1901 on the f ...

. The following year, he was called out of retirement as an emergency replacement for

Frank Randle Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an English comedian. A contemporary of fellow Lancastrians George Formby and Gracie Fields, he was regarded as more subv ...

who had been taken seriously ill. Ted, not too reluctantly, left the pub to take over Randle's pantomime commitment, and later, his

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

season. That gave his career the boost it needed, leading to his role of Private Bone in ''

''. In the summer of 1965, Lune performed at

Gwrych Castle Gwrych Castle ( cy, Castell Gwrych meaning "hedged castle") (Originally spelt as 'Gwrŷch') is a Grade I listed 19th-century country house near Abergele in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The castle and 236 acre estate are owned by a charity, an ...

where he would perform on the weekdays along with the organist Alex King in 'The Castle Show' and 'The Castle Party Night'.North Wales Weekly News - Thursday 12 August 1965 He died in

Selsey Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about eight miles (12 km) south of Chichester in West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea. It is bounde ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

, aged 47, after a long illness.

Filmography

References

External links

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Ted Lune was my comedian granddad
1968 deaths 1920 births English male stage actors English male television actors English male film actors 20th-century English male actors People from Selsey {{England-actor-stub