Trevor Peacock obit

Vicar of Dibley actor Trevor Peacock dies aged 89

Peacock, who played Jim Trott in the BBC sitcom, died of a ‘dementia-related illness’ said his family

 

He was not on the list.

Trevor Peacock, who played Jim Trott in The Vicar of Dibley, has died at the age of 89. Peacock who appeared in many British shows, from EastEnders to Jonathan Creek, had dementia.

A statement on behalf of his family said: “Trevor Peacock, actor, writer and song-writer, died aged 89 on the morning of 8 March from a dementia-related illness.”

Peacock, who was also a prolific stage actor and screenwriter in the 1950s and 60s, was last seen on TV in the 2015 Comic Relief special of the Dawn French’s hugely popular BBC sitcom.

Peacock appeared in every episode of the Richard Curtis show since it began in 1994, apart from the recent Christmas special. Trott, his character, was a member of the Dibley Parish Council, perhaps most remembered for his repetition of the word “no” and his frequent use of sexual innuendo.

Born in north London in 1931, Peacock began his TV career in the 1960s in the ITV Television Playhouse, Comedy Playhouse and The Wednesday Play. He went on to play Rouault in Madame Bovary and Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop, and made appearances in The Bill and the sitcom My Family. In 2007, he played the father of Father Christmas in the film Fred Claus, alongside Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti.

Peacock was also an accomplished songwriter and wrote a number of hit songs including the 1960s track Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, by Herman’s Hermits and Mystery Girl, recorded by Jess Conrad, as well as the lyrics for a number of hits by the Vernons Girls.

Peacock had four children, two daughters and two sons –both of whom, Daniel and Harry, followed him into acting, the former appearing in Only Fools and Horses as “Mental Mickey” and the latter as Ray Purchase in Toast of London.

Peacock's many television roles include Jim Trott in The Vicar of Dibley, Rouault in Madame Bovary (opposite Keith Barron), Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop and Old Bailey in Neverwhere. He appeared in diverse programmes such as EastEnders (playing Sid, a war veteran Alfie Moon met in France), LWT's Wish Me Luck (in which he played resistance leader Renard), Jonathan Creek, Between the Lines, The Riff Raff Element, The Thin Blue Line and My Family.

Peacock had starring roles in several of the BBC Shakespeare series, including the title role in Titus Andronicus, Feste in Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Lord Talbot in Henry VI, Part 1 and Jack Cade in Henry VI, Part 2. He was the Gravedigger in Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 film version of Hamlet, Old Joe in the 1999 Patrick Stewart version of A Christmas Carol, and the Innkeeper in the 2000 made-for-television film version of Don Quixote.

Peacock played the father of Father Christmas in the 2007 film Fred Claus co-starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti. In July 2009 he also had a bit part in the TV drama Hotel Babylon. He also appeared as "Captain Zero" in the BBC TV series Last of The Summer Wine (1990) and as Maurey in The Sins (2000). In 2012 he played George in Quartet, a British comedy-drama film based on the play of the same title. In 1964, he appeared with The Beatles in the television special Around the Beatles, playing Peter Quince in the Pyramus and Thisbe scene (Act V, Scene 1) from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Peacock was also a songwriter. He wrote the 1960s pop classic "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter", which was recorded by Herman's Hermits. Other hit songs to his credit include "Mystery Girl" (recorded by Jess Conrad), "Made You" (Adam Faith), "Gossip Calypso" (Bernard Cribbins), "Stick Around" (Billy Fury), "That's What Love Will Do" and "Nature's Time For Love" (both recorded by Joe Brown).

Peacock wrote the lyrics for a number of hits by The Vernons Girls. The songs include "Be Nice To Him Mama", "You Know What I Mean", "Funny All Over" and "He'll Never Come Back". He wrote the lyrics for the musical show, Passion Flower Hotel (music by John Barry), and for a musical based on the popular newspaper cartoon strip, Andy Capp (music by Alan Price). Before his acting career took off, he compered Drumbeat for the BBC and wrote scripts for Oh Boy! and Six-Five Special. He starred in the 1991 fantasy BBC radio play Heart of Hark'un. In 2002 he filmed an episode of Dinotopia in Budapest; playing the mysterious sage Lok in "Night of the Wartosa". In 2010 he appeared in The Old Guys and I, Claudius.