Ken Jones obit

Liverpool actor Ken Jones, star of The Liver Birds and Porridge, dies aged 83

Star appeared in host of TV favourites including Peak Practice and Casualty 

He was not on the list.

Ken Jones, the Liverpool-born actor who had a string of leading roles across stage, film and television has died aged 83.

He passed away on Thursday at a nursing home in Prescot a week before his 84th birthday, having suffered from bowel cancer for the past six months.

Originally from Everton, Ken was most famous for his roles in Z Cars, Porridge and the Liver Birds, in which he played Uncle Dermot alongside his wife Sheila Fay, who played Mrs Hennessy.

His sister Edith has paid tribute to Ken, who she said was a leading light of the Merseyside community despite his modesty – which meant he refused to accept he was seen as a high profile actor.

She said: “He just did what he wanted to do in life. That was acting.

“They had to work very hard. I like to think he achieved what he wanted to. He was very humble, and always insisted his work was nothing important.”

And she said he was as sharp as ever, even toward the end of his life: “He was a great story teller. He kept the carers entertained at the care home – his memory was incredibly strong.”

Ken and Sheila met in Liverpool at the Merseyside Community Theatre Group, which was started by his lifelong friend Malcolm Frood’s father.

They married on the 30th of October 1964 at St Polycarp Church, in Everton, near where Ken’s family had made their home in Anfield.

The couple then moved to London to start at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, before eventually finding a home near Aberystwyth in Wales.

Despite their distance from Liverpool Edith, who lives in Huyton, said Ken and Sheila insisted Merseyside was their home.

Ken was evacuated in 1942 at the height of the second world war, along with two of his four brothers and sisters, which Edith said had kept the family close ever since.

And he was in contact with old friends from the Shrewsbury Boys Club, which was based in Everton’s Shrewsbury House, until the day he died.

Sheila died on the 31st of August last year from a stroke, aged 87, and Edith said Ken only realised he had bowel cancer shortly afterwards.

He then moved back from Wales to his Prescot care home so he could be closer to his sister, who helped care for him in his dying days.

Edith told the ECHO Ken was never Red or Blue, and instead supported both teams – but he couldn’t contain his delight when he heard of Liverpool’s 5-1 victory over Arsenal.

She said: “He started off supporting Everton, but then always followed both teams and wanted to know how they were getting on. When I told him Liverpool had won his eyes just lit up.”

Ken’s funeral will take place on Monday 24 February at 12.45pm at St Peter’s Church in Everton, before a service at Anfield Crematorium at about 1.30pm. Edith said anybody wanting to pay tribute was welcome to come and pay their respects.

 

Filmography

Film

1969    The File of the Golden Goose            Stroud

1971    Melody            Mr. Dicks

1971            Gumshoe        Labour Exchange Clerk

1979    Murder by Decree            Dock Guard

1979            Porridge          Ives

1985    No Surrender            Ronny

1994            Stanley's Dragon            Millington

1996    Jude            Mr. Biles

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1962–1974            Z-Cars            Various            Guest roles (24 episodes)

1963–64            ITV Play of the Week   Garret / Reg            Episodes: "Double Stakes", "Find Yourself a Mug"

1963–1972            Dixon of Dock Green            Various            Guest roles (seasons 10–12, 14, 19)

1964    The Chase   Frank Bowles TV film

1964–65            No Hiding Place            Luggy Carter / Brooks            Episodes: "Play on Letters", "Truth or Dare"

1965    Theatre 625      Kelly            Episode: "Progress to the Park"

1965    R3            Eric            Episode: "And No Birds Sing"

1965–1969            The Wednesday Play      Various            Guest roles (7 episodes)

1966    United!            Arthur Hackforth            Recurring role (18 episodes)

1966, 1972            Thirty Minute Theatre            Freddie / Ted Humphries            Episodes: "The Queen Street Girls", "Ten Torrey Canyons"

1966, 1972            Play of the Month            Totmark / Sgt. Lugg            Episodes: "The Making of Jericho", "The Magistrate"

1967            Coronation Street            Harry Eastham            Episode: "1.661"

1967, 1970            Armchair Theatre            Mr. Budge / Rickie            Episodes: "I Am Osango", "Poor Mother"

1968    The First Lady            Woodley            Episode: "Ministry Approved"

1968    Softly Softly            Henderson            Episode: "Red Herring"

1968    The Golden Vision            Joe            The Wednesday Play

1968–69            Her Majesty's Pleasure            Leslie Mills     TV series

1969    ITV Sunday Night Theatre Alf            Episode: "Hazel and Her New Gas Cooker"

1969    Wink to Me Only            Jack            Episode: "The Council Wears Earrings"

1969    The Expert  Walker            Episode: "No Home in the City"

1970            Germinal            Rasseneur       TV miniseries

1970    W. Somerset Maugham            Horn            Episode: "Rain"

1970    Scene            Mr. Potter            Episode: "£60 Single, £100 Return"

1970    Grady            John Dayton            Episode: "Look, I'm Nobody"

1970–71            Coronation Street            Arthur Burrows            Guest role (4 episodes)

1971    Long Voyage Out of War     Andy Ipps            Episode: "The Gentle Invasion"

1971    The Guardians            Sam Wilson            Episode: "The Logical Approach"

1971–72            The Last of the Baskets            Clifford Basket  Main role

1972    The Liver Birds            Uncle Dermot            Episodes: "Birds on the Dole", "Birds on Strike", "Liverpool or Everton"

1972    The Adventures of Black Beauty            Mr. Fox            Episode: "The Horsemen"

1973    Look and Read            Mr. West            Episode: "Joe and the Sheep Rustlers: Part 1"

1973    Owen, M.D.    Ivor Bevan            Episode: "September Song!"

1973            Hunter's Walk Philips            Episode: "The Old Folks at Home"

1974    Thriller            Sam            Episode: "I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill"

1974    Boy Dominic            Samuel Weatherbane            Episodes: "Sermons and Snuff", "Ghost in Greenwich", "Lady Bulman Regrets"

1974–75            Porridge            Bernard 'Horrible' Ives      Guest role (seasons 1–2)

1974–1977            The Squirrels            Rex            Main role

1975    The Wackers            Billy Clarkson            TV series

1977    Jesus of Nazareth            Jotham            TV miniseries

1978            Rumpole of the Bailey            Charlie Wheeler            Episode: "Rumpole and the Learned Friends"

1979    All Day on the Sands            Mr. Cattley TV film

1980    The Nesbitts Are Coming            Det. Sgt. Arnold Nixon   TV series

1981            Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective            Mr. Norris  TV film

1981–82            Seconds Out    Dave Locket TV series

1982    Dead Ernest            Archangel Derek            Main role

1983–84            Struggle          Stanley            Episodes: "One Step Forward Two Steps Back", "Art for the Workers' Sake"

1985    Behind the Bike Sheds            Whistle Willie    TV series

1986    That Uncertain Feeling Salter            Episode: "1.3"

1986            Prospects        Mr. Lambert            Episode: "Running All the Way: Part 1"

1987            Imaginary Friends            Ed Novar  TV miniseries

1987–88            Valentine Park            Tom            TV series

1988    Turn on to T-Bag            Prof. Sparkes            Episodes: "Sparkes", "Turn on to T-Bag"

1989    Act of Will      Dr. Stalkey            Episode: "1.1"

1989    Boon            Ben Seymour            Episode: "All in a Day's Pork"

1991            Watching         Uncle Bernard            Episodes: "Wining", "Fixing", "Straying"

1996            Goodnight Sweetheart            Owen Jones            Episode: "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie"

1996    The Detectives            King Harold            Episode: "Fur Coat, No Knickers"

1996    Murder Most Horrid            Mr. Belling            Episode: "The Body Politic"

1996    Peak Practice            Edward Fellows            Episode: "A New Life"

1996, 2000            Casualty          Len Chesham / George Bryant            Episodes: "Relative Values", "No More Mr. Nice Guy"

1997–98            Out of Sight            Grandad            Episodes: "Giving Trouble", "Moment of Truth"

1998    Mosley            J. H. Thomas            Episodes: "Rules of the Game", "Breaking the Mould"

1998    A Certain Justice            Harry Naughton            Episodes: "1.1", "1.2", "1.3"

2000, 2007            Doctors           Ken / Roy Balcombe            Episodes: "Second Time Around", "Born and Bread"

2003    Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher            Bernard Ives   TV film

2005    The 4400            Matthew Lombard            Episode: "The Fifth Page"