Bernard Cribbins

Born: December 29 1938
Where: Oldham, Lancashire, UK

The former Carry On stalwart is probably best known as the kindly station master Albert Perks in The Railway Children.

Other notable big screen appearances include the original Two Way Stretch, Bond spoof Casino Royale and The Water Babies.

He began his career aged 14 at Oldham Rep and went on to work all over the country in productions including Not Now Darling, There Goes the Bride and Run for your Wife.

He made his (uncredited) big screen debut as a stage hand in Davy and went on to work in supporting roles.

In 1964, he made his Carry On debut as Harold Crump in Carry On Spying and went on to star in Carry on Jack and 1992's Carry on Columbus.

On TV, he had his own series Cribbins, was a regular on Jackanory and was the narrator for the Wombles.

He also starred in Eric Sykes' classic TV short The Plank alongside Sykes, Arthur Lowe and Lionel Blair.

Recent work has included a regular part in the long-running soap Coronation Street and the part of Paul Kaye's father in the Mel Smith comedy Blackball.