Gordon Wharmby
Encyclopedia
Gordon Wharmby was a British
television actor
. He was best-known for the role of Wesley Pegden on Last of the Summer Wine
.
He was born in Salford, Lancashire
, in 1933, and served in the Royal Air Force
during his national service. Wharmby was originally employed as a painter and decorator and had no formal training as an actor. He gained stage experience with Oldham Repertory Theatre and worked part time as a jobbing actor. Early television roles included bit-parts in programmes such as Bill Brand (1976), The One and Only Phyllis Dixey (1978) and Coronation Street
(1982).
Wharmby made his debut in Last of the Summer Wine in 1982, as Wesley Pegden, the boilersuit wearing, tinkering mechanic and would be inventor. He appeared as a regular cast member for 16 series between 1985 and 2002. Thora Hird
played his nagging wife Edie.
In an ever-increasing supporting cast, Wharmby often found himself driving the storylines because of Wesley's penchant for gadgetry. Perhaps the character's greatest hour was informing Compo, Clegg and Foggy, in the 1984 Christmas special, that he had discovered a rare Loxley Lozenge. This led to much waxing lyrical on the part of Foggy as he tried to guess what exactly this was, and he concluded that it must be a medieval cough sweet (it turned out to be a classic car).
He was then auditioned for a one-line part in Last of the Summer Wine, which had begun in 1973, filmed in and around the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth. The producer, Alan J.W. Bell, was so impressed with Wharmby's "natural" performance that, instead, he cast him in the more prominent role of the bumbling Wesley Pegden for another episode and Clarke later wrote him in as a regular. Although initially overawed by working with Thora Hird as his screen wife from 1986, Wharmby eventually started giving her "notes", to the veteran actress's great amusement.
Wharmby had small roles in programmes such as Troy Kennedy Martin
's nuclear thriller Edge of Darkness
(1985), Brookside
(1985), All Creatures Great and Small (1988), A Very British Coup
(1988), Agatha Christie's Poirot
(1990), Heartbeat (1994) and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
(1996).
At his time of death, he had been due to start recording the 23rd series of Last of the Summer Wine.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was best-known for the role of Wesley Pegden on Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
.
He was born in Salford, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, in 1933, and served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during his national service. Wharmby was originally employed as a painter and decorator and had no formal training as an actor. He gained stage experience with Oldham Repertory Theatre and worked part time as a jobbing actor. Early television roles included bit-parts in programmes such as Bill Brand (1976), The One and Only Phyllis Dixey (1978) and Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(1982).
Wharmby made his debut in Last of the Summer Wine in 1982, as Wesley Pegden, the boilersuit wearing, tinkering mechanic and would be inventor. He appeared as a regular cast member for 16 series between 1985 and 2002. Thora Hird
Thora Hird
Dame Thora Hird DBE was an English actress.-Early life and career:Hird was born in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. She first appeared on stage at the age of two months in a play her father was managing...
played his nagging wife Edie.
In an ever-increasing supporting cast, Wharmby often found himself driving the storylines because of Wesley's penchant for gadgetry. Perhaps the character's greatest hour was informing Compo, Clegg and Foggy, in the 1984 Christmas special, that he had discovered a rare Loxley Lozenge. This led to much waxing lyrical on the part of Foggy as he tried to guess what exactly this was, and he concluded that it must be a medieval cough sweet (it turned out to be a classic car).
He was then auditioned for a one-line part in Last of the Summer Wine, which had begun in 1973, filmed in and around the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth. The producer, Alan J.W. Bell, was so impressed with Wharmby's "natural" performance that, instead, he cast him in the more prominent role of the bumbling Wesley Pegden for another episode and Clarke later wrote him in as a regular. Although initially overawed by working with Thora Hird as his screen wife from 1986, Wharmby eventually started giving her "notes", to the veteran actress's great amusement.
Wharmby had small roles in programmes such as Troy Kennedy Martin
Troy Kennedy Martin
Troy Kennedy Martin was a Scottish-born film and television screenwriter best known for creating the long running BBC TV police series Z-Cars, and for the award-winning 1985 anti-nuclear drama Edge of Darkness...
's nuclear thriller Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness
Edge of Darkness is a British television drama serial, produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six fifty-five minute episodes in late 1985...
(1985), Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
(1985), All Creatures Great and Small (1988), A Very British Coup
A Very British Coup
A Very British Coup is a 1982 novel by British politician Chris Mullin. In 1988, the novel was adapted for television, directed by Mick Jackson, with a screenplay by Alan Plater and starring Ray McAnally...
(1988), Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
(1990), Heartbeat (1994) and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates is a genteel British crime–comedy drama television series which aired from 1996 to 1998 on BBC One. The series starred Patricia Routledge as the title character , Derek Benfield as her patient husband Robert, Dominic Monaghan as their lodger Geoffrey Shawcross...
(1996).
At his time of death, he had been due to start recording the 23rd series of Last of the Summer Wine.