simon ward

The British screen and stage actor Simon Ward has died after a long illness, his agent has confirmed.

Ward appeared in several films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including The Three Musketeers.

He also starred as Bishop Gardiner in The Tudors and as Sir Monty in the popular BBC television series Judge John Deed.

A statement released by his agent said he passed away peacefully with his wife Alexandra and daughters at his bedside.

The son of a car salesman from Beckenham in Kent, Ward joined the National Youth Theatre at the age of 13 where he remained for eight years.

After attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he worked in repertory in Northampton, Birmingham and Oxford, and occasionally in London’s West End.

Early career

His break into the theatre came in 1967 when he played the lead in Joe Orton’s play, Loot, which lead to television and film roles.

In 1972, he gained national acclaim for his portrayal of Churchill in Richard Attenborough’s epic film Young Winston, which featured a distinguished cast including Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft.

The following year, he played the Duke of Buckngham in The Three Musketeers.

In 1974, Ward was cast as the author and veterinarian, James Herriot, in the original film adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small.

All Creatures Great and Small later became a successful BBC television series with actor Christopher Timothy taking the lead role played by Ward in the film adaptation.

In more recent years Ward returned to theatre, touring the country with plays such as Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III and Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband.

In the late 1980s Ward was a victim of a street attack that was never solved and baffled the police.

Ward’s daughter is the actress, Sophie Ward; his youngest daughter, Kitty, is married to the comedian, Michael McIntyre.

What are your memories of Simon Ward? Did you meet him or work with him? What were his best film roles? Send us your comments using the form below.

Perth wins Diamond Jubilee contest to be named seventh Scottish city

Perth will become Scotland’s seventh city after winning a UK competition marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The town based its bid on Perth’s long history as a city. The status was removed in 1975 as part of a local government shake-up.

Perth was one of 25 towns across the UK which applied for the civic honour in the jubilee competition.

Two other UK towns, Chelmsford in England and St Asaph in Wales, will also become cities.

Before the announcement there were 66 cities in the UK – 50 in England, five in Wales, six in Scotland and five in Northern Ireland.

Scotland’s other cities are Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling.

Philip Madoc

Philip Madoc of Lloyd George and Dad’s Army fame dies

Philip Madoc was a familiar face on British television appearing in many classic programmes.

Welsh actor Philip Madoc has died after a short illness, his agent says.

The 77-year-old had a long career on stage and screen, playing the title role in the BBC drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George.

His agent Michael Hallett said he died on Monday morning in hospital in Hertfordshire surrounded by his family.

Born in Merthyr Tydfil, he appeared in many classic television shows including Dad’s Army, Doctor Who, Porridge and the detective series A Mind to Kill.

His extensive radio work included the title role in the BBC Radio 3 adaptation of King Lear and more recently he starred in S4C’s new series The Cockle Farmer.

He was also widely remembered for his part as a German U-Boat commander in the classic “Don’t tell him, Pike” scene from the popular television sitcom Dad’s Army.

Dame Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench reveals eyesight problem

Dame Judi Dench talks about her latest film

Actress Dame Judi Dench has been diagnosed with a condition that can lead to blindness, she has revealed.

The Oscar-winning star told the Daily Mirror she had age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and struggled to read scripts or recognise faces.

But the 77-year-old has had some treatment and is hoping it might slow the decline in her eyesight.

AMD affects more than 600,000 Britons and last year research was published suggesting it could rise to 750,000.

Dame Judi, who is due to reprise the role of M in the 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall, told the Mirror: “I can’t read scripts any more before because of the trouble with my eyes.

“And so somebody comes and reads them to me, like telling me a story.”

AMD, which affects the macula at the back of the eye, is the cause of more than half of registrations for blind and partially sighted people in the UK.

She said: “I’ve got what my ma had, macular degeneration, which you get when you get old.”
Dame Judi Dench says she has no plans to retire from acting

ne of a group of pensioners who move to India in her latest film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which premiered in London earlier this month.

She said the worst part of the condition was not being able to see the person she was having lunch with in a restaurant.

But she said she had no plans to let it force her retirement and added: “You get used to it. I’ve got lenses and glasses and things and very bright light helps.”

She has been chosen to narrate the film Better Living Through Chemistry, starring Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde as a couple engaged in an affair.

Dame Judi won a best supporting actress Oscar in 1998 for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love but she is not expected to attend next weekend’s Oscars.

Major fire at Perth recycling plant

Major fire at Perth recycling plant
Ten fire engines were sent to tackle the fire
A crowd of people had to run to safety after a gas canister exploded during a major blaze at a Perth recycling plant.
Staff at Wyllie Recycling and neighbouring units were evacuated as a result of the fire, which could be seen for miles around.
The exploding canister sent shrapnel flying more than 40ft, with one piece of debris landing in a field where people had been watching the fire.
Firefighters were called to the Inveralmond industrial estate at 07:40.
Tayside Fire Service said about 100 tonnes of rubbish had caught fire, causing a mile-high plume of black smoke to drift across the A9 dual carriageway and for about five miles across the centre of Perth

“Start Quote
As soon as we heard the bang we all legged it. People were running for their lives”
End Quote Gerry Scott Fire witness
The fire started shortly after the recycling unit opened and firefighters battled for more than an hour to bring the blaze under control.
Witness Gerry Scott, 27, said he had been driving to work in Perth when he saw the smoke rising from the recycling plant in Ruthvenfield Way and pulled over to watch with workers from the estate and other motorists.
He said: “You could feel the heat from it a long way back. Then there was a loud crack, like a car backfiring or fireworks going off, and that must have been some sort of gas canister.
“You could clearly see bits of it flying through the air and the largest piece tore right through the roof of the factory and something like 60 feet into the sky.
“As soon as we heard the bang we all legged it. People were running for their lives and it’s just as well they did because bits were landing near where they had been standing.”
The thick black smoke drifted high up over the A9 and did not force the closure of the road but motorists reported being able to see it up to 20 miles away.
Tayside Fire and Rescue sent 10 fire engines from across Perthshire to fight the blaze and said they planned to remain on site throughout the day to dampen the burnt building.
The fire caused extensive damage to the unit as paper, cardboard and general waste caught alight.
Police said smoke from the fire was not affecting local roads
An investigation into the source of the blaze has been launched, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
A Tayside Police spokesman said: “We attended a recycling centre in Ruthvenfield Way, Perth, shortly before 8am. We were alerted by Tayside Fire and Rescue to a fire which had taken hold in the yard.
“The smoke is not causing difficulty to road users as it is moving up and over the A9. It is not affecting traffic at this time. Waste paper and cardboard is on fire and the blaze is now under control.
“All members of staff at the recycling centre have been accounted for and neighbouring businesses have been made aware of what has happened.”
Scottish Water said people living near the scene of the fire may have had their water cut off or experienced low pressure as the fire service tapped into the mains supply for water to fight the blaze.
A spokesman for the company added: “When supplies are fully restored customers may also experience some discolouration to their supply, this discolouration is harmless and will gradually disappear as the system returns to normal.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience and