Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09

Subject: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GREEN WELLIES
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 11:33 AM

Found by his carer this morning according to press. Sad.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GREEN WELLIES
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 11:35 AM

Sorry, this should probably be non-music. If somebody could move it .....

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 12:10 PM

Oh Dear, 'carer' paints a lonely picture.
I hope they write him a better end.
Al

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 12:13 PM

Well that's sad. I guess he must have been one of the longest serving actors in The Archers.

RIP 'Phil'

JM

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 12:17 PM

He was in Guiness Book of Records as the Actor in the same role for the longest time ! Which of the Archer kids will get his telescope ?

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GREEN WELLIES
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 12:57 PM

Apparently he had heart surgery and one or two falls recently, and had been unwell for sometime, started in the Archers in its very first episode in 1950 when it was broadcast from the BBC studios in Broad Street, Birmingham. He was indeed the longest serving member of the cast.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Morticia
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 01:00 PM

How sad, I shall miss him. Poor Jill.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Young Buchan
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 01:36 PM

Death of the actor was of course the only way they could get rid of the character. Way back in I think the early 60s the five main actors wanted a pay rise, but the BBC claimed they couldn't afford it. Instead they offered them a contract that specified they could have the part for as long as they wanted and the character could never be written out wihout their consent (or death.) Norman/Phil was the last of these 'immortals'.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Johnny J
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 01:49 PM

The Archers have never been the same since Grace died.....

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GUEST,Jenny Brampton
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 01:58 PM

There's always someone
jB

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 02:08 PM

Best wishes for his "Real" family.
Its a testament to his acting and longevity that so many radio fantasists can leave the thesis alone long enough to listen in in such great numbers.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 03:17 PM

I've just heard (immediately before this evening's episode) that Norman Painting made his last recording for the programme just 2 days ago - it will be broadcast next month. So not such a bad way to go - end of an era, though!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: bradfordian
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 05:02 PM

From "The Guardian"
Norman Painting, the mainstay of the rural radio soap opera The Archers for 60 years, has died aged 85.

First hired by BBC radio in 1950 for a trial of what was expected to be a short-lived story of Midlands farming folk, Painting was still in action as Ambridge's patriarch, Phil Archer, until last month, even as a heart condition compounded his fight against bladder cancer .

Conservative and downbeat compared with dodgy geezers such as Nelson Gabriel or more colourful families such as the Pargetters, Painting's Archer was a chunk of Olde England around which the series revolved. This was partly the actor's own doing, as the author of 1,198 Archers scripts as well as a tireless supporter of the programme's curious, fact and fiction-mixing roadshows.

Painting was skilled at portraying a sometimes tedious paterfamilias, sighing over his large family's ups and downs and offering them sherry or Sunday lunch as a cure-all with his well-suited radio wife, Jill. But he came to the series from a lively and distinguished academic background: a student role as King Lear in Birmingham that is still remembered, followed by a research scholarship at Christ Church College, Oxford, where he taught drama.

The long, calm afternoons at Brookfield farm had a remarkable prelude in a second Lear at Oxford, in which his fellow players included the politician Shirley Williams, John Schlesinger, later to become a film director, the future broadcaster Robert Robinson and the future head of British Rail Peter Parker. Jack May, who was to play Nelson Gabriel, was also in the cast, and went with Painting to pitch for a new BBC series.

Painting was cast as Phil, then the handsome young heir to much of Ambridge's fertile acreage, and he was soon given a beautiful wife, Grace, played by Ysanne Churchman. Their supreme (but for Grace, final) moment came in 1955 after a BBC executive named H Rooney Pelletier wrote to his superiors: "The more I think about it, the more I believe that a death of a violent kind in The Archers, timed if possible to diminish interest in the opening of commercial television in London, is a good idea."

Grace was duly incinerated in a barn; ratings and newspaper headlines walloped ITV; and Painting in effect got life membership of The Archers (Churchman too, in a sense: she returned to play five other parts over the years). His character still has an appearance to come. Recorded on Tuesday, Phil will appear gently on Sunday 22 November, surrounded by grandchildren and getting ready for Christmas.

The series' editor, Vanessa Whitburn, said: "Norman was a consummate professional. Under his sure hand, Phil graduated seamlessly from young romantic hero to farmer, father and grandfather. He always wanted to remain working on The Archers until he died – and I am delighted and proud that he achieved his wish."

Outside the studio, Painting, who was born in Leamington Spa, was a dedicated worker for charities and good causes including Birmingham Cathedral, Age Concern in Warwickshire and the Tree Council. He secured the site for the Shakespeare Tree Garden in Stratford-upon-Avon, raised huge sums for the Red Cross, distressed farmers and phobia victims and was appointed OBE in 1975.

Many other awards came his way and he wrote bestselling books about The Archers, but one distinction gave him special pleasure. No one in the world has played a soap opera character without a break for so long, and no one looks likely to.

1950, before TV. 59 years in the same job! amazing. At 85, a good innings. But that voice will be missed like so many in the Archers (remember Ned Larkin?) Condolences to his family

Brad

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Anne Lister
Date: 29 Oct 09 - 06:56 PM

So sorry to hear this - he had such a reassuring voice!
But 59 years in the same job is extraordinary.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GUEST,Mr Red
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 06:06 AM

I am amazed no-one has mentioned his "Fight them on the beaches" speach.

Apparently Churchill was far too busy to turn up at the studio at the right time and have the enemy know where he was, maybe. So they recorded it and he was still too busy so they got an actor to mimic him. Churchill was most complimentary on the likeness including the expelling of air through the sides of his teeth on certain phonemes.

That actor was Norman Painting.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GREEN WELLIES
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 06:19 AM

Mr Red..... thanks for that, I had heard that story years ago and didnt know if it was true. Now I have the answer, thank you.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GUEST,Billybob,lost my cookie
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 07:07 AM

The Archers will never be the same, Iwill miss that beautiful voice

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 07:20 AM

So he made the speech for Churchill when he was sixteen?

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 07:28 AM

That actor was Norman Painting

I have a recollection that it was the actor who played the character who used to be Aunt Laura Archer's squeeze but got cheated out of his inheritance because the will was lost. The name Norman Rodway springs to mind but I'm unable to confirm it.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: TenorTwo
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 07:46 AM

If I remember correctly, it was Norman Shelley (played Colonel Danby)

T2

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 07:47 AM

How sad. Gone to join Gabriel (Walter and Nelson).

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 08:03 AM

Ah, so many Normans! That's it, Freddy Danby.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: GREEN WELLIES
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 08:19 AM

The Leveller........... and Boxer and Blossom.

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: Gedi
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 09:02 AM

I shall miss his voice, and his character.

RIP Norman

Ged

Subject: RE: Obit: Norman Painting (Phil Archer) 29.10.09
From: RTim
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 09:16 AM

Hi All,

I remember many years ago dancing at a fete in Warmington, just north of Banbury, with The Adderbury Morris Men, and this is where Norman Painting was living at the time.
I purchased 5 old Archers Radio scripts at a stall from the fete, and still have them somewhere. I seem to remember reading these with the Mill Drama group in Banbury later, it was great fun.
I have many memories of listening to the Archers and a one time would never miss an episode - ah fond memories of Middle England!

Tim Radford - Woods Hole, Massachusetts!!