Roy Castle
Encyclopedia
Roy Castle OBE
(31 August 1932 in Scholes, near Holmfirth
, Yorkshire
– 2 September 1994 in Buckinghamshire
) was an English dancer, singer, comedian
, actor
, television presenter and musician
. He attended Honley High School
, where there is now a building in his name. He was a talented jazz
trumpet
player.
near Blackpool and appeared there at the local Queen's Theatre, turning professional in 1953 as a stooge for Jimmy Clitheroe
and Jimmy James
. By 1958 he was appearing at the Royal Variety Show. As a singer, he released one charting single in 1960, the Christmas song "Little White Berry".
television
show The Roy Castle Show. In 1965, he appeared in the film Dr. Who and the Daleks
, playing the role of Dr. Who's first male assistant, Ian Chesterton
, quite differently from the way it had been played in the original television series by William Russell
. He also appeared in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
as a jazz musician suffering a curse after copying voodoo tunes. He also appeared in Carry On up the Khyber
in 1968. In 1973 Castle teamed up with actor & comedian Ronnie Barker
in the original one-off called Another Fine Mess
(an episode from a series called Seven of One
). Barker was one of Castle's best friends, and paid tribute to their work together shortly after Castle's death.
Between 1967 and 1968 Castle co-starred with Jimmy Edwards
in the London West End run of the comedy farce show Big Bad Mouse
when Eric Sykes
had to withdraw because of illness. The show was resident at the Shaftesbury Theatre
and, while being loosely scripted, it offered both Edwards and Castle the chance to freely ad-lib and generally break the 'fourth wall
' with the audience, Castle breaking into trumpet performances while Edwards walked into a front stall seat to read a newspaper, tap dancing and firing ping-pong
balls into the stalls. He also once stood in for Bruce Forsyth
hosting The Generation Game
in 1975 while Forsyth was ill.
, a children's show, and he remained host for over 20 years. He recorded the theme song
for the show himself. While presenting the show he broke nine world record
s himself, including
He was a host of the show up until a few months before his death in 1994, hosting alongside Norris
and Ross McWhirter
, Fiona Kennedy and Cheryl Baker
. From then on, hosting was taken over by Baker and former athlete Kriss Akabusi
. It continued until 2001, lasting 29 years. It remains one of Britain's longest running shows.
and three LPs
. Only one of these LPs has seen a CD release so far: Songs For A Rainy Day was recorded in 1966 for Columbia
(now reissued in the UK on CD by EMI
Gold, re-titled Isn't This A Lovely Day). The record features twelve songs with rain
as the theme. It is notable that some of the top British
jazz
players of the day such as Gordon Beck
(piano), Jeff Clyne
(bass), Leon Calvert (flugelhorn), Ike Isaacs (guitar), Ray Swinfield (flute) and Al Newman
(saxophone) played on the record. The LP features jazz arrangements by Victor Graham and covers a variety of styles such as big band
rompers ("Pennies From Heaven
", "Stormy Weather"), ballads ("February Brings The Rain", "Here's That Rainy Day
", "Soon It's Gonna Rain"),and bossa nova
s ("Everytime It Rains
", "The Gentle Rain").
in 1963 after they were introduced to each other by Eric Morecambe
. They had four children. Their youngest son, Ben Castle
(born 1973), is a jazz saxophonist
who has played with Jamie Cullum
, Carleen Anderson
and Beth Rowley
, among many others. Both Castle and his wife were committed Christians and they regularly attended the Baptist
church near their home.
Castle was also a keen football fan and supported Liverpool Football Club
. Less than six months before his death, he attended the Liverpool-Everton
derby match
at Anfield
on 14 March 1994 and stood on the famous Spion Kop terrace, as it was the last local derby that would be staged before the Kop was demolished to make way for a new all-seater stand. He had also been in the crowd at Liverpool's FA Cup
final victory over Sunderland
in May 1992, shortly after he was first found to have cancer. At that time Ronnie Barker paid tribute to him, referring to their portrayal of characters that bore a strong resemblance to Laurel and Hardy
in Another Fine Mess
.
On 31 December 1992, Castle became an OBE. He was also a recipient of the Carl Alan Award, an honour voted for by members of the professional dance industry.
in January 1992, and underwent chemotherapy
and radiotherapy before going into remission later that year. A non-smoker, he blamed his illness on passive smoking
during his years of playing the trumpet in smoky jazz clubs. On 26 November 1993, Castle announced that his illness had returned, and once again underwent treatment in the hope of overcoming it. Several months later, he carried out the high profile Tour of Hope to raise funds for the erection of the building that would become the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
, which was - and still is - the only British charity
dedicated entirely to defeating lung cancer. By this stage, however, his condition was deteriorating and recovery was looking highly unlikely.
During and shortly after this period many smoke-free restaurants and cafes were awarded the "Roy Castle Clean Air Award" to denote their adherence to a (then voluntary) smoke free regime. The award, although now defunct given the advent of smoking bans, remains a matter of pride for various establishments, and many such venues continue to boast of the award.
His final contribution to Record Breakers was aired at the end of the series ending in mid-1994, although the programme continued until 2001.
He died on 2 September 1994, two days after his 62nd birthday.
His widow Fiona worked with the charity for many years after her husband's death, and was a key figure in campaigning for the British smoking ban
which came into effect in 2006 and 2007, and has seen smoking banned in virtually all enclosed public places
.
Roy remains a notable figure in popular culture in the UK, partially due to the cult status of his work on Record Breakers. He is for example immortalised by the naming of the Roy Castle award for debate at Dollar Academy
. A new development in Port Glasgow
shall also feature a street named "Roy Castle Avenue".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(31 August 1932 in Scholes, near Holmfirth
Holmfirth
Holmfirth is a small town located on the A6024 Woodhead Road in the Holme Valley, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Centred upon the confluence of the Holme and Ribble rivers, Holmfirth is south of Huddersfield and from Glossop. It mostly consists of...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
– 2 September 1994 in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
) was an English dancer, singer, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, 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...
, television presenter and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He attended Honley High School
Honley High School
Honley High School is a secondary school situated on the edge of the village of Honley in the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England. The catchment area is the neighbouring villages of Brockholes, Honley and Meltham. Honley High has around 1,250 pupils aged 11–16...
, where there is now a building in his name. He was a talented jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player.
Early career
The son of a railwayman, he was a tap dancer from an early age and trained at Nora Bray's school of dance with Audrey Spencer who later turned out to have a big dance school, and after leaving Holme Valley Grammar School he started his career as an entertainer in an amateur concert party. As a young performer in the 1950s, he lived in CleveleysCleveleys
Cleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about 4 miles north of Blackpool and 2 miles south of Fleetwood...
near Blackpool and appeared there at the local Queen's Theatre, turning professional in 1953 as a stooge for Jimmy Clitheroe
Jimmy Clitheroe
James Robinson Clitheroe was a British comic entertainer. He never grew any taller than 4 feet 3 inches, and could easily pass for an 11-year-old boy, the character he played in The Clitheroe Kid....
and Jimmy James
Jimmy James (comedian)
Jimmy James was a music hall, film, radio and television comedian and comedy actor.Jimmy had limited use for jokes as such, preferring to say things in a humorous manner, sometimes in surreal situations and as such was seen by some as well ahead of his time.He was often hailed as a 'comedian's...
. By 1958 he was appearing at the Royal Variety Show. As a singer, he released one charting single in 1960, the Christmas song "Little White Berry".
Television career
In the mid-1960s he starred in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show The Roy Castle Show. In 1965, he appeared in the film Dr. Who and the Daleks
Dr. Who and the Daleks
Dr. Who and the Daleks was the first of two Doctor Who films made in the 1960s. It was followed by Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D....
, playing the role of Dr. Who's first male assistant, Ian Chesterton
Ian Chesterton
Ian Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell, and was one of the members of the programme's very first regular cast, appearing in the bulk of the first two...
, quite differently from the way it had been played in the original television series by William Russell
William Russell (actor)
William Russell is an English actor, mainly known for his television work. He was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.-Doctor Who:...
. He also appeared in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors is a 1965 British horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by veteran horror director Freddie Francis, written by Milton Subotsky, and starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee....
as a jazz musician suffering a curse after copying voodoo tunes. He also appeared in Carry On up the Khyber
Carry On up the Khyber
Carry On Up the Khyber is the sixteenth Carry On film, released in 1968. It stars Carry On regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth. Roy Castle makes his only Carry On appearance in the "romantic male lead" part usually played by Jim...
in 1968. In 1973 Castle teamed up with actor & comedian Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
in the original one-off called Another Fine Mess
Another Fine Mess
For the comedy short starring Laurel and Hardy, see Another Fine MessAnother Fine Mess is the first major live release by British folk metal band Skyclad...
(an episode from a series called Seven of One
Seven of One
Seven of One was a British comedy series that aired on BBC2 in 1973. Starring Ronnie Barker, 7 of One is a series of seven separate comedies that would serve as possible pilots for sitcoms. Originally it was to be called Six of One, which Barker planned to follow up with another series called Half...
). Barker was one of Castle's best friends, and paid tribute to their work together shortly after Castle's death.
Between 1967 and 1968 Castle co-starred with Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards DFC was an English comedic script writer and comedy actor on both radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in Take It From Here and as the headmaster 'Professor' James Edwards in Whack-O!-Biography:...
in the London West End run of the comedy farce show Big Bad Mouse
Big Bad Mouse
Big Bad Mouse is a frequently revived 1960s British stage play and theatrical comedic farce that, although not specifically written for them, became famous as a loose vehicle for the many talents of the British comedy actors Jimmy Edwards and Eric Sykes and has constantly seen various revivals with...
when Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...
had to withdraw because of illness. The show was resident at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The theatre was designed for the brothers Walter and Frederick Melville by Bertie Crewe and opened on 26 December 1911 with a production of The Three Musketeers, as the New...
and, while being loosely scripted, it offered both Edwards and Castle the chance to freely ad-lib and generally break the 'fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
' with the audience, Castle breaking into trumpet performances while Edwards walked into a front stall seat to read a newspaper, tap dancing and firing ping-pong
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
balls into the stalls. He also once stood in for Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
hosting The Generation Game
The Generation Game
The Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
in 1975 while Forsyth was ill.
Record Breakers
In 1972 he first presented Record BreakersRecord Breakers
Record Breakers was a British children's TV show, themed around world records and produced by the BBC and originally presented by Roy Castle with twin brothers Norris McWhirter and Ross McWhirter. It was broadcast on BBC1 from 15 December 1972 to 21 December 2001...
, a children's show, and he remained host for over 20 years. He recorded the theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the show himself. While presenting the show he broke nine world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s himself, including
- Fastest tap-dancer
- Longest wing walkWing walkingSeen in airshows and barnstorming during the 1920s, wing walking is the act of moving on the wings of an airplane during flight.-The beginning of air walkers:...
- Playing the same tune on 43 different instruments in four minutes.
He was a host of the show up until a few months before his death in 1994, hosting alongside Norris
Norris McWhirter
Norris Dewar McWhirter, CBE was a writer, political activist, co-founder of the Freedom Association, and a television presenter. He and his twin brother, Ross, were known internationally for the Guinness Book of Records, a book they wrote and annually updated together between 1955 and 1975...
and Ross McWhirter
Ross McWhirter
Alan Ross Mayfield McWhirter , known as Ross McWhirter, was, with his twin brother, Norris McWhirter, co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records and a contributor to Record Breakers...
, Fiona Kennedy and Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker is an English television presenter and singer. She is most famous for being a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, and has performed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, winning it the second time.-Early career:After leaving school and a series of secretarial jobs, Cheryl...
. From then on, hosting was taken over by Baker and former athlete Kriss Akabusi
Kriss Akabusi
Kriss Kezie Uche Chukwu Duru Akabusi MBE is a former sprint and hurdling athlete from the United Kingdom. During his career, he won the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1990 European Championships, a gold in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1991 World Championships, and a silver medal in...
. It continued until 2001, lasting 29 years. It remains one of Britain's longest running shows.
Singing career
Between 1958 and 1969, Castle recorded numerous singlesSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and three LPs
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. Only one of these LPs has seen a CD release so far: Songs For A Rainy Day was recorded in 1966 for Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(now reissued in the UK on CD by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Gold, re-titled Isn't This A Lovely Day). The record features twelve songs with rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
as the theme. It is notable that some of the top British
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...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
players of the day such as Gordon Beck
Gordon Beck
Gordon James Beck was an English jazz pianist.Beck was born in Brixton, London, and attended Pinner County Grammar School . He studied piano in his youth, but decided to go into a career as an engineering technical draughtsman...
(piano), Jeff Clyne
Jeff Clyne
Jeffrey Ovid 'Jeff' Clyne was a British jazz bassist .-Biography:...
(bass), Leon Calvert (flugelhorn), Ike Isaacs (guitar), Ray Swinfield (flute) and Al Newman
Al Newman
Albert Dwayne Newman is a former infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos , Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers...
(saxophone) played on the record. The LP features jazz arrangements by Victor Graham and covers a variety of styles such as big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
rompers ("Pennies From Heaven
Pennies from Heaven (song)
"Pennies from Heaven" is a 1936 American popular song with music by Arthur Johnston and words by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1936 film of the same name...
", "Stormy Weather"), ballads ("February Brings The Rain", "Here's That Rainy Day
Here's That Rainy Day
"Here's That Rainy Day" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, published in 1953. It was introduced by Dolores Gray in the Broadway musical Carnival in Flanders...
", "Soon It's Gonna Rain"),and bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
s ("Everytime It Rains
Everytime It Rains
Originally written for Annie Lennox, "Everytime It Rains" was the fourth single released from Ace of Base's Re-Release of Flowers in the UK. This song was written by Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg and Maria Vidal....
", "The Gentle Rain").
Personal life
He was married to the dancer Fiona DicksonFiona Dickson
Joan Fiona Dickson OBE, or Fiona Dickson is a retired British dancer who is most notable for her marriage to the late TV entertainer Roy Castle...
in 1963 after they were introduced to each other by Eric Morecambe
Eric Morecambe
John Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
. They had four children. Their youngest son, Ben Castle
Ben Castle
Ben Castle is a British jazz musician, the son of the late television actor and entertainer Roy Castle . He placed first in the Jazz category of the 2003 International Songwriting Competition with his song "The Heckler"....
(born 1973), is a jazz saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
who has played with Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum
Jamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
, Carleen Anderson
Carleen Anderson
Carleen Anderson is an American soul singer, who has had success in the United Kingdom. She is the daughter of the singer Vicki Anderson and stepdaughter of Bobby Byrd, and is most well known as the lead singer in the Young Disciples as well as for her own solo career.-Early career:Anderson was...
and Beth Rowley
Beth Rowley
-Background:Rowley was born to British parents who moved back to Bristol, England from Peru when Rowley was two years old.-Early career:She was influenced by her family's love for many different musical styles, particularly blues, country, folk, gospel and Latin American music. When aged 16, Rowley...
, among many others. Both Castle and his wife were committed Christians and they regularly attended the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church near their home.
Castle was also a keen football fan and supported Liverpool Football Club
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Less than six months before his death, he attended the Liverpool-Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
derby match
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on 14 March 1994 and stood on the famous Spion Kop terrace, as it was the last local derby that would be staged before the Kop was demolished to make way for a new all-seater stand. He had also been in the crowd at Liverpool's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final victory over Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in May 1992, shortly after he was first found to have cancer. At that time Ronnie Barker paid tribute to him, referring to their portrayal of characters that bore a strong resemblance to Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
in Another Fine Mess
Another Fine Mess
For the comedy short starring Laurel and Hardy, see Another Fine MessAnother Fine Mess is the first major live release by British folk metal band Skyclad...
.
On 31 December 1992, Castle became an OBE. He was also a recipient of the Carl Alan Award, an honour voted for by members of the professional dance industry.
Illness and death
Castle was found to have lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in January 1992, and underwent chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and radiotherapy before going into remission later that year. A non-smoker, he blamed his illness on passive smoking
Passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
during his years of playing the trumpet in smoky jazz clubs. On 26 November 1993, Castle announced that his illness had returned, and once again underwent treatment in the hope of overcoming it. Several months later, he carried out the high profile Tour of Hope to raise funds for the erection of the building that would become the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is a British medical research charity dedicated to the prevention and cure of lung cancer. It is the only charity in the UK wholly dedicated to the defeat of lung cancer....
, which was - and still is - the only British charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
dedicated entirely to defeating lung cancer. By this stage, however, his condition was deteriorating and recovery was looking highly unlikely.
During and shortly after this period many smoke-free restaurants and cafes were awarded the "Roy Castle Clean Air Award" to denote their adherence to a (then voluntary) smoke free regime. The award, although now defunct given the advent of smoking bans, remains a matter of pride for various establishments, and many such venues continue to boast of the award.
His final contribution to Record Breakers was aired at the end of the series ending in mid-1994, although the programme continued until 2001.
He died on 2 September 1994, two days after his 62nd birthday.
His widow Fiona worked with the charity for many years after her husband's death, and was a key figure in campaigning for the British smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
which came into effect in 2006 and 2007, and has seen smoking banned in virtually all enclosed public places
Public space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
.
Roy remains a notable figure in popular culture in the UK, partially due to the cult status of his work on Record Breakers. He is for example immortalised by the naming of the Roy Castle award for debate at Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy was founded in 1818, which makes it the oldest co-educational day and boarding school in the world. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of the thriving town of Dollar in Central Scotland, less than 40 minutes drive from the two main Scottish cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh...
. A new development in Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
shall also feature a street named "Roy Castle Avenue".