Ronald Baddiley (31 August 1922 – 29 November 1986) was an English actor. He was best known for his roles in the early days of the long-running British radio drama ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...

'', and as Under-Secretary, Sir Gregory Pitkin, CBE in the BBC comedy '' The Men from the Ministry''. Baddiley was born on 31 August 1922, in Doncaster in Yorkshire, England, UK. In December 1950 he married Noreen Richards – she later performed alongside him in several episodes of radio serial ''The Archers''.

Career

Baddiley voiced the character of Percy Hood in BBC radio drama ''The Archers'' and first appeared on television in April 1956 playing the orchestra conductor in the TV short ''The Cobbler's Belle''. In the same year he played Mr. Hepton in dramatist David Turner's ''Fresh as Paint'' and the policeman in ''One Fight More'' by David Campton and Stephen Joseph. The following year he played PC Sanders in 4 episodes of ''The Other Man'', and in 1958 Baddiley appeared in two BBC radio productions of Shakespeare, playing the parts of an outlaw and Panthino in the comedy '' The Two Gentlemen of Verona'', and Abram in the tragedy '' Romeo and Juliet''. Baddiley performed alongside Arthur Lowe in the BBC Radio

Third Programme The BBC Third Programme was a national radio station produced and broadcast from 1946 until 1967, when it was replaced by Radio 3. It first went on the air on 29 September 1946 and quickly became one of the leading cultural and intellectual f ...

production of ''Billy's Last Stand'', the first play written by English author

Barry Hines Melvin Barry Hines, FRSL (30 June 1939 – 18 March 2016) was an English author, playwright and screenwriter. His novels and screenplays explore the political and economic struggles of working-class Northern England, particularly in his native ...

. He featured in two BBC Radio 2 programmes on the same day in March 1968, appearing first in ''The Men from the Ministry'' and later alongside Clive Dunn,

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, and

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in the

Esmonde and Larbey Esmonde may refer to: People ;Given name * Esmonde Higgins (1897-1960), Australian communist ;Surname * A. M. Esmonde (b. 1977), a British movie writer and producer * Sir Anthony Esmonde, 15th Baronet (1899-1981), an Irish politician and farmer ...

comedy ''You're Only Old Once''. In 1970, Baddiley appeared as Freddie Daring in the satirical film ''

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer ''The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer'' is a 1970 British satirical film starring Peter Cook, and co-written by Cook, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Kevin Billington, who directed the film. The film was devised and produced by David Frost u ...

'', and as himself in ''A Career in Shipbuilding'' (1975), directed by John Reeve and written by Ronald Dunkley. Baddiley was railway inspector Mr Bun in the early 1970s series '' Parsley Sidings'', which reunited him with Arthur Lowe, who played the stationmaster Horace Hepplewhite. In January 1980, Baddiley was Bird One in Fit the Tenth of the second series of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Later that year he played Cervantes in a two-part BBC radio adaptation of ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

''. In 1981, Baddiley voiced the (uncredited) role of the British news reel commentator in five episodes of the TV series '' Private Schulz'' and the following year appeared as Lt Col Walter Anderson in the ITV Granada series '' Crown Court''. In 1983, Baddiley played Montague in the BBC Radio 3 production of Romeo and Juliet.

''The Archers''

Baddiley first appeared in ''The Archers'' on 12 December 1953 playing the part of the Squire; his final appearance on the programme was on 4 April 1966 in the role of Harvey Grenville. In between, he played other parts in the series, including that of Percy Hood in 1956.

Death

Baddiley died suddenly on 29 November 1986; his funeral service and cremation were held five days later at Breakspear Crematorium,

Ruislip Ruislip ( ) is an area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, and in the historic county of Middlesex. Ruislip lies west-north-west of Charing Cross, London. The manor of Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the ear ...

, west London on Thursday 4 December.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baddiley, Ronald 1922 births 1986 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors from Doncaster English male radio actors Male actors from Yorkshire