Peter Armitage (actor)
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Peter James Armitage (23 October 1939 – 30 November 2018) was an English
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and stage actor best known for his role as Bill Webster on long-running
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
''. He was a regular on British screens from the 1970s onwards.


Early life

Armitage was born out of wedlock in
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Aire and the Leeds ...
,
West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...
, where he was brought up primarily by his aunt until the age of 10, when his mother married. He did not meet his father, who was German, until he was 28, and the two did not form a long-term relationship. Armitage attended Glusburn secondary modern school, then was apprenticed to a firm building diesel engines for five years. He subsequently spent four years serving in the Merchant Navy before settling in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, where he worked as a banksman on the construction of the Victoria line. He then enrolled at the East 15 Acting School in
Loughton Loughton () is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. The town borders Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell, Chingford, and Buckhurst Hill, and lies north-east of Charing Cross. For statistical purposes ...
,
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
to train as an actor.


Career

Armitage had three spells as the character Bill Webster on ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'', appearing in the role in 1984–1985 (for six months), then from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2006 to 2011. He had previously appeared as a different character playing a painter and decorator in two episodes in 1977. In 2014 Armitage stated in an interview that he had hoped to return to the series after successfully battling bowel cancer. In the 1970s Armitage appeared in two British drama series, '' The Sweeney'' and '' The Professionals''. In ''The Sweeney'' Armitage appeared as Herbert ''"Jacko"'' Jackson in the episode ''Big Spender.'' His character was that of a crooked ticket attendant of a car park company who becomes involved with an organized crime family in and attempt to defraud his employers. Whilst in ''The Professionals'' Armitage appeared as
Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...
detective Ray Kerrigan, the episode entitled ''Stake Out''. In 1988, a century after the
Whitechapel Murders The Whitechapel murders were committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel District (Metropolis), Whitechapel district in the East End of London between 3 April 1888 and 13 February 1891. At various points some or all of these eleven unso ...
, Armitage appeared in the television mini-series ''
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...
'' in which he played the part of Sergeant Kirby. His other TV credits include ''Lovejoy'', '' The Befrienders'', ''Couples'' and '' Hearts and Minds''. He also appeared in '' Lucky Feller'', a short-lived sitcom starring
David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally as David Jason, is an English actor. He has played Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector Jack Frost in the drama series '' A Touch ...
. In 1998, played Danny Ormondroyd in a stage adaptation of the film '' Brassed Off'' at the
Sheffield Crucible The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to Crucible steel#History of production in England, crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 174 ...
and London’s Olivier Theatre.


Personal life

Armitage married actress Annabel Scase in 1970; the couple had two children, Daniel and Sally, and later divorced. Armitage lived in Cross Hills,
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
and subsequently in Cononley near
Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Aire and the Leeds ...
. He was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to amateur theatre in
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
. Armitage died of a heart attack on 30 November 2018, aged 79. He was survived by his children.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Armitage, Peter 1939 births 2018 deaths Alumni of East 15 Acting School English male soap opera actors English male stage actors English people of German descent 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors People from Skipton Male actors from North Yorkshire Members of the Order of the British Empire Actors from Craven District