Wilfrid Brambell at Yorkley
Courtesy of: Peter Lee. Uploaded: August 2008.
Wilfrid Brambell at Yorkley.
Row 2 (Adults only, left to right) 1 Fred Ellis, 2 Mrs Sing, 3 Rev George Smith, Vicar of Parkend and district, 4, 5 Wilfrid Brambell, 6 Mr Sing, 7 Mrs
Kingscote who's husband was the the Yorkley policeman, 8.
Row 1 (Children only, left to right): 1 Michael Lee,2 ,3 Peter Lee ,4 ,5, 6.
Pete wrote (August 2008): "The popular actor Wilfrid Brambell -a.k.a.'Albert Steptoe' signing autographs
for Michael Lee and Peter Lee. I think this was taken at a St Briavels fete about 1962. Wilfrid's
brother, Dr. James C. M. Brambell was a Lydney Doctor ".
Dr Brambell retired in 1972 after 42 years service (Source: 'Lydney and District Hospital 1882-1982', R.A.J. Bell)
Doris Cova (nee Batten) wrote (August 2008): "The man on the
left with glasses and wearing a cap is Fred Ellis. He was married to my
my Aunt Lil (Batten). They lived at the top of the hill between Bream and
St. Briavels, until Uncle Fred died in his early 90's".
Thanks to Joyce Baxter and Barb Bocking who added (August 2008): "A correction to this photo.
The photo was taken at Parkend Church Fete (early sixties) held at the
Parsonage, Yorkley. It is indeed Wilfrid Brambell who played (Albert) Steptoe. The
Vicar is Rev George Smith. To his right is Mrs Sing and the elderly gent
on his left with glasses is Mr Sing. Mr Sing was Headmaster at Parkend
School and they lived at the Parsonage in Yorkley".
Dr.Adrian Morgan added (September 2011): "... Definitely Yorkley Parsonage. I was somewhere in the background selling raffle tickets. I sold one to Wilfred Brambell. He filled out the counterfoil and took his ticket without paying for it. I should have said something but was too young to challenge such an important celebrity. Wilfred Brambell's brother Dr James Brambell was my family's GP. I mentioned this to him later and he just knowingly smiled as if this was a common occurrence for celebs. On leaving school in 1966 I moved from Yorkley to Ripon. About 1985 I discovered one of my patients a Canon Michael Glanville-Smith who had recently arrived at the Cathedral in Ripon was the much younger brother of Rev. George Smith. Small world. We are now both retired and remain friends".
Thanks also to Roger Smith, Rita Arnold and Neil Brambell.
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