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Bert Parnaby

1924 – 1992

British actor

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About Bert Parnaby

Lived 1924 – 1992 (aged 68). Bert Parnaby was a British actor and television actor.

James Bertram Parnaby (4 March 1924 – 30 July 1992 ) was a British actor who was notable for a string of TV and Film roles from the 1960s through the 1980s. His TV roles included performances in Blackadder, By the Sword Divided, Juliet Bravo, Inspector Morse and Last of the Summer Wine. In 1988, he appeared as Father Christmas in the BBC adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. His film credits included Prick Up Your Ears, The Dressmaker (1988) and The Reunion (1989).

Whilst living in Didsbury, Bert was a schoolmaster at Manchester Grammar School during the 1950s and early 1960s. Teaching English, he was greatly involved in the production of teachers’ plays. He subsequently became an HMI (one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools).

On leaving the education profession, Parnaby worked as a producer and performer for the BBC. His monologues on breakfast radio often started ‘I hate …’, for example the edition about the Post Office, which was based on the Didsbury branch, albeit unnamed.

Parnaby died in July 1992 at the age of 68, shortly after the death of his wife Jane. A bench in their memory was later erected in Drummer Street, Cambridge.

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Important facts

People in Bert Parnaby's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Bert Parnaby's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Bert Parnaby?

British actor (1924-1992)

When was Bert Parnaby born?

Bert Parnaby was born on 4 March 1924.

When did Bert Parnaby die?

Bert Parnaby died on 30 July 1992.

What was Bert Parnaby's occupation?

Bert Parnaby was an actor and television actor.

What nationality was Bert Parnaby?

Bert Parnaby was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Bert Parnaby

· Wikidata: Q4895259

· DBpedia: Bert Parnaby

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bert Parnaby. https://biography.guide/bert-parnaby/

MLA: "Bert Parnaby." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bert-parnaby/.

Chicago: "Bert Parnaby." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bert-parnaby/.

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