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Geoffrey Hughes
Geoffrey Hughes as he appeared in TV's Heartbeat
Born	(1944-02-02)2 February 1944 Wallasey, England, United Kingdom
Died	27 July 2012(2012-07-27) (aged 68) Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
Cause of death	Prostate cancer
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–2010
Spouse(s)	Susan Hughes (m. ?–2012; his death)

Geoffrey Hughes (2 February 1944 – 27 July 2012) was an English actor.

As well as a wide range of TV and film appearances, Hughes was best known for a series of supporting roles in popular UK television dramas. He played Vernon Scripps in the British drama series Heartbeat (2001–05, 2007); Twiggy in the popular television comedy The Royle Family (1998–2000, 2006, 2008); Onslow in the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990–95) and Eddie Yeats in the soap opera Coronation Street (1974–83, 1987).

Career

Hughes attended Ranworth Square Primary School, Liverpool, until the age of 11. He then went to Abbotsford Secondary Modern School in Norris Green, Liverpool. He started his career in repertory at the Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent. This was followed by his first West End production, the Lionel Bart and Alun Owen musical, Maggie May. His other West End productions include the stage version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Say Goodnight to Grandma, The Secret Life of Cartoons and several seasons of Run for your Wife. He has recently played "Pistol" in an open air production of Henry V at Barnwell Manor. He also toured extensively in Britain and abroad. He has relatives in Shetland.

Among his many other appearances on television are: An Arrow for Little Audrey; The Saint; Shadows of Fear; Z-Cars; Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased); Flying Lady; Making Out; Coasting; Doctor Who; Spender; and Boon. He played 'Trinculo' in an all filmed version of The Tempest for the BBC and 'Squire Clodpoll' in Good Friday 1663, one of Channel Four's new avant-garde operas. His comedy appearances on TV include The Likely Lads, Please Sir!, Dad's Army, Curry and Chips, No, Honestly, The Upper Hand and the character of Onslow in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.

Hughes' film credits include: Smashing Time; Till Death Us Do Part; The Bofors Gun; The Virgin Soldiers; Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall; Carry On at Your Convenience; and TV films: Needle and The Man from the Peru. He was also the voice of Paul McCartney in the Beatles' cartoon film Yellow Submarine.

In 1974, Hughes was cast as binman Eddie Yeats in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street. Over the next nine years he became, with Stan Ogden (Bernard Youens), a foil to Stan's long-suffering wife Hilda (Jean Alexander). Many fans still regard these performances as a high point of the series. He left the series in 1983, making a brief final return appearance in 1987 as part of Hilda's departure from the series. In recent years he was offered to return to the show but declined.

Hughes usually appeared in pantomime over the Christmas period. He appeared on That Antony Cotton Show on 6 September 2007, in which he spoke about his role in a short film called Expresso, which also starred Sir Norman Wisdom. Hughes played the part of a man who visits a coffee shop for a "normal" coffee but is served by a pompous waiter. The film was sold in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

In 2007 he performed the Angel Gabriel in the BBC production Liverpool Nativity. From 2007, he also appeared in the first three series of the E4 drama Skins as a recurring characters best known as Uncle Keith.

At Christmas 2008, he returned to play Twiggy in The Royle Family's Christmas Special titled "The New Sofa".

In 2009, he played Frank in Tim Firth's Absolutely Frank at Oldham's Coliseum Theatre.

Television roles

Personal life

Hughes' off-stage interests were sailing, golf, cricket, rock music, trees and beer. Born in Wallasey, Merseyside to parents Ada and Bill,he had one younger brother Gordon and was brought up in Liverpool.

Hughes was also the Honourary Squire of the Dartington Morris Men and made an appearance at the Dartington Morris Ring meeting in September 2008. His musical interests included English folk-rock and he compered at Fairport's Cropredy Convention annual music festival several times.

Death

Hughes was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996 while he was playing Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances. He died from the illness on 27 July 2012. He thought he had beaten the cancer but in 2010, Hughes was attending a charity event when he suffered from extreme back pains, so painful he couldn't even stand up. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer again. Doctors said that he died "peacefully in his sleep".

References

1. Craig Manning (30 July 2012). "Tributes to Wirral-born Coronation Street star". The Wirral Globe. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
2. Mike Keegan. "Actor Geoffrey Hughes – Coronation Street's Eddie Yates – dies aged 68 | Manchester Evening News". menmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
3. Colin Robertson; Alex Peake (4 August 2010). "Wife's bedside vigil for Corrie's Eddie... but pals fear the worst". The Sun. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
4. "New nativity story played to city". BBC. 16 December 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
5. Fairport's Cropredy Convention Official Souvenir Programme 2007; Fairport's Cropredy Convention Official Souvenir Programme; 2008, page 1
6. "Geoffrey Hughes – Obituary". Retrieved 29 July 2012.
7. "Coronation Street actor Geoffrey Hughes dies aged 68". Retrieved 28 July 2012.
8. Jones, Cass (28 July 2012). "Actor Geoffrey Hughes dies aged 68". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2012.

External links

• Geoffrey Hughes at IMDb
• "Expresso"

Template:Persondata

• Use dmy dates from September 2012
• 1944 births
• 2012 deaths
• Cancer deaths in England
• English voice actors
• English film actors
• English stage actors
• English television actors
• English actors
• People from Wallasey
• Deaths from prostate cancer
• English soap opera actors
• Actors from Liverpool
• Deputy Lieutenants of the Isle of Wight