RIP Ian Lavender.

[Glebe]

Ian Lavender: Dad's Army star dies aged 77.

Rather surprised there's not been a thread yet so I've done one. BBC4 screened Dad's Army's much loved 'The Deadly Attachment' ("Don't tell him, Pike!") the other night in tribute to Lavender.

Popped up in an episode of Yes Minister I was watching recently too. Rest in Peace Private Pike.

[gilbertharding]

I thought there was one - but it must just have been the general Dead Celebs thread.

Someone else had already posted about The Curse of Dad's Army though.

One thing I didn't know was that the famous scarf was an Aston Villa one, not West Ham, as might have made more sense for the character.

[Toki]

Saw him in a pantomime a couple of decades ago. While chucking out sweets to the audience he hit my aunt square in the face with a sherbet lemon. Unironically a legend for that as well as his performance as Pike, cloying but vulnerable. RIP.

[Virgo76]

He also played a Liberal candidate in an episode of Rising Damp.
RIP

[Jittlebags]

One thing I didn't know was that the famous scarf was an Aston Villa one, not West Ham, as might have made more sense for the character.

But not in the Toby Jones film

The scarf worn by Private Pike in the star-packed new production is NOT in Aston Villa colours.

Added to the claret and blue is a series of YELLOW stripes.

Birmingham-born Ian, who played Pike in the legendary TV series and has a cameo role in the film, told the Birmingham Mail: "It looked like a banana split to me!

"I'm colour blind so I'm not sure what colours it was, but there was definitely a yellow in there.

"It certainly wasn't an Aston Villa scarf. I was deeply shocked.

"I'm not sure why they changed it. I'm told it was already committed to film by the time I got there so there wasn't a lot I could do about it."

Ian, who grew up in Longbridge and went to Bournville Technical College, chose the colours of Pike's TV series scarf because he is a Villa fan.

He still owns the original scarf and reveals that he recently wore it to Villa Park for the first time.

"I went with a friend in April to see Villa lose to Fulham," he said. "It was a totally private visit – I just thought I would take the scarf to the ground and christen it. I sat quietly wearing it and nobody really noticed."

[Matthew Dawkins Jub Jub]

Whistle while you work
Lavender's in the earth.

[Glebe]

I know DA is usually running on Gold, but of course the Beeb occasionally do rescreenings, there was the episode where the men's feet are getting inspected on last night and Pike dreams he has giant feet. Sad to think Lavender, the last of them, has left us.

The episode looked like it had been remastered.