Walter Gabriel
Liz Blades
10 Years ago,
The unmistakabe voice of Walter Gabriel in The Archers was silenced
forever with the death of actor Chriss Gittins in1988.MONICA PORTER
recalls the lovable yokel from Ambridge.
Actor Chriss Gittins,who had played the part of Walter Gabriel in The
Archers for 35 years,died in his sleep on this day a decade ago.
He was 86,while Gabriel,the garrulous rascal,was due to celebrate his
92nd birthday on the radio three days later.
The recorded programme was duly broadcast,and it was Gabriel's last
appearence.
The character was written out of the show much as Gittins had
departed:he "passed away as he slept in his cottage during the
night"and was found by his son Nelson in the morning.
Gabriel's husky-voiced catchphrase"Hello me old pals me old
beauties",was made famous by Gittins,who made his radio debut in 1935
and joined the "everyday story of country folk" when the series was
launched in 1951.
He had played a village policeman,a vet,abankmanager and a government
inspector before he became Gabriel in 1953.
The BBC programmme became the world's longest-running radio serial.
Gittins was awarded the MBE in 1984,and the Queen told him she was an
Archers fan.
He said at the time:"It's nice to feel some one has noticed what I've
done.I will carry on as long as I'm on two legs.Walter has been a
lovely character and I'm very fond of him."
Jack May,who played Nelson Gabriel,died last September,aged 75.He too
had been in The Archers since 1951,but the osh sounding@antiques
dealer' was always a curious member of the rustic farming saga.
Suave rogue Nelson,unlike his radio father,was not made to die in his
sleep in the series.
In keeping with his'shady background,the character ran off to South
America to escape unexplained debts.
Jack May would have liked that.
Copyright Associated Newspapers Ltd.
Phew after all that typing I need a cup of tea.........
Liz
George Middleton
>Gabriel's husky-voiced catchphrase"Hello me old pals me old
>beauties",was made famous by Gittins,who made his radio debut in 1935
>and joined the "everyday story of country folk" when the series was
>launched in 1951.
>
Chriss Gittins husky voice was of course an imitation, rather a poor
one, of Robert Mawdesley's original rich fruity voice. I have said
before that I was never able to accept Chriss as the real Walter. The
catchphrase may have been made famous by Chriss because he read the
lines for so long but I'm sure it was Robert who said them first, right
from the beginning.
>He had played a village policeman,a vet,abankmanager and a government
>inspector before he became Gabriel in 1953.
Peter Hesketh's database lists only PC George Randal and Walter2.
--
George
Charles F Hankel
>
> The following taken from The Daily Mail August 21 1998
>
>
> Phew after all that typing I need a cup of tea.........
Hint taken. A couple of nice chocolate digestives too?
--
Charles F Hankel
-------------------------------------
Hapless FAQer on the Wirral peninsula
http://www.mersinet.co.uk/~hankel/uf/umrafaq.html
Liz Blades
>Liz Blades wrote:
>>
>> The following taken from The Daily Mail August 21 1998
>>
><...snippety snip...>
>>
>> Phew after all that typing I need a cup of tea.........
>Hint taken. A couple of nice chocolate digestives too?
Ooooooh yes please,and can we discuss what Mr Wineberg has offered us
for building his bunker to such excellent standards?
Liz
Liz Blades
>Chriss Gittins husky voice was of course an imitation, rather a poor
>one, of Robert Mawdesley's original rich fruity voice.
George I was merely quoting,any argument with the article should be
taken up with the original author.
Liz
George Middleton
>>Chriss Gittins husky voice was of course an imitation, rather a poor
>>one, of Robert Mawdesley's original rich fruity voice.
>
>George I was merely quoting,
I knew that.
>any argument with the article should be
>taken up with the original author.
The whole purpose of usenet is that we don't need to put ouselves to any
trouble.
Is there a home-brew barrel that is and will remain completely pressure
tight?
--
George, completely unrepentant.
Robin Fairbairns
tea?????
--
I live in the crowd of jollity, not so much to enjoy company as to shun
myself. -- Samuel Johnson
andy roberts
uk.media.radio.archers :
>Liz Blades wrote:
>>>Chriss Gittins husky voice was of course an imitation, rather a poor
>>>one, of Robert Mawdesley's original rich fruity voice.
>>
>>George I was merely quoting,
>
>I knew that.
Come, come.
>
>>any argument with the article should be
>>taken up with the original author.
>
>The whole purpose of usenet is that we don't need to put ouselves to any
>trouble.
>
>Is there a home-brew barrel that is and will remain completely pressure
>tight?
Is this another of your cleverly counter-intuitive philosophical
propositions?
Forever? Completely? Impossible.
try www.edme.com
Andy R
--
Now at home on andy D0T Roberts HAT zetnet.co.uk
Mayes
andy roberts wrote in message <35e17dc4...@news.thefree.net>...
>>pressure tight?
>
>Is this another of your cleverly counter-intuitive philosophical
>propositions?
>
>Forever? Completely? Impossible.
Certainly not if it to be any use - how would you get the beer out?
Penny Mayes pe...@bredgar.globalCAPnet.co.uk remove cap to reply
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine...
Andrew Wineberg
bla...@airtime.co.uk (Liz Blades) wrote:
> Ooooooh yes please,and can we discuss what Mr Wineberg has offered us
> for building his bunker to such excellent standards?
So, you like chocolate digestives, do you?
--
Andrew Wineberg, exclusive supplier of exclamation marks to George Middleton
http://www.btinternet.com/~a.wineberg/ has my portrait and personal details
Liz Blades
>Liz Blades wrote:
>>>Chriss Gittins husky voice was of course an imitation, rather a poor
>>>one, of Robert Mawdesley's original rich fruity voice.
>>
>>George I was merely quoting,
>I knew that.
>>any argument with the article should be
>>taken up with the original author.
>The whole purpose of usenet is that we don't need to put ouselves to any
>trouble.
>Is there a home-brew barrel that is and will remain completely pressure
>tight?
Yes
Liz Blades
>In article <6rpj6t$9...@neon.airtime.co.uk>,
>Liz Blades <bla...@airtime.co.uk> wrote:
>>Phew after all that typing I need a cup of tea.........
>tea?????
Coffee at a push ;-)
Liz
George Middleton
>>>Is there a home-brew barrel that is and will remain completely
>>>pressure tight?
>>
>>propositions?
>>
>>Forever? Completely? Impossible.
>
>Certainly not if it to be any use - how would you get the beer out?
Well, I only meant the cap or bung really. I know they have cocks.
--
George
Steve Holden
>Mayes wrote:
>>
>>Certainly not if it to be any use - how would you get the beer out?
>
>Well, I only meant the cap or bung really. I know they have cocks.
>--
>George
So,eenglish man admeets that this eez where eengleesh beer comes
from..;-))
Steve BHS cock
http://personal.redestb.es/steven/flower%20brooch%20page.html
Adrian / Anne Kember
<Mi...@leton.demon.co.uk> writes
>Liz Blades wrote:
>>>Chriss Gittins husky voice was of course an imitation, rather a poor
>>>one, of Robert Mawdesley's original rich fruity voice.
>>
>>George I was merely quoting,
>
>I knew that.
>
>>any argument with the article should be
>>taken up with the original author.
>
>The whole purpose of usenet is that we don't need to put ouselves to any
>trouble.
>
>tight?
Our Hambleton Bard ones do, well they have so far with or without extra
gas being added.
Anne
--
Adrian / Anne Kember
Liz Blades
>>>George I was merely quoting,
>>
>>I knew that.
>>
>>>any argument with the article should be
>>>taken up with the original author.
>>
>>The whole purpose of usenet is that we don't need to put ouselves to any
>>trouble.
>>
>>Is there a home-brew barrel that is and will remain completely pressure
>>tight?
>Our Hambleton Bard ones do, well they have so far with or without extra
>gas being added.
My God you got the good ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Liz (who will apologise to HB in the morning)
Liz Blades
Proprietor of Blades Home Brewery
115 Market Street,Farnworth,Bolton,Lanc's
http://www.dmatters.co.uk/Blades/blades.html
Tony
Thanks
--
Tony :o{)
ne...@legat.clara.net
http://www.legat.clara.net