Ken Barrie

Leslie Hulme (9 January 1933 – 29 July 2016), known professionally as Ken Barrie, was an English voice actor and singer. He was best known for voicing the titular character and several other characters in the children's television series Postman Pat, as well as singing the theme tune. He also sang the theme tune of the BBC Television programme Charlie Chalk.

Biography Barrie was born on 9 January 1933 in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Under the stage name Les Carle, he recorded for Embassy Records, an offshoot of Woolworths that released inexpensive cover versions of pop hits, between 1962 and 1965. He changed his stage name when a friend told him it was French for "the Charlies", and took his new name of Ken Barrie from the names of his wife's brothers. Barrie also narrated several audio tapes and spoken-word cassette releases for the series as well, with the exception of Postman Pat's Parcel of Stories, which was instead narrated by Peter Sallis.

He sang the soundtrack for the television show Charlie Chalk and recorded the soundtracks for the films Sharks' Treasure (1975), Emily (1976) and Silent Scream (1979). He also whistled the tune for the theme song of the 1987 BBC series My Family and Other Animals, based on the book by Gerald Durrell, and sang the theme song to the hit long running BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!.

Personal life Barrie was married to Doreen Pye from 1954 until her death in 2009. He also had two children, a son named Paul Hulme and a daughter named Lorraine Hulme Peterson. Barrie's son Paul Hulme was a music engineer who went on to work for the music departments for many films, although Hulme died in a road accident in 1998 at the age of 38.

Death Barrie died at his home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, on 29 July 2016 from liver cancer. He is survived by his daughter Lorraine Hulme Peterson.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1970 Jane Eyre Edward Rochester (Singing voice) 1972 The Great Waltz Johann Strauss, Jr. (Singing voice) Uncredited1973 Applause Bill Sampson (Singing voice)1979 Ray Charles' World of Music Singer 1986 Christmas Eve With Val Doonican Unknown 1990 Postman Pat's ABC Narrator (voice) Postman Pat's 123 1994 Read Along with Postman Pat 1998 BBC Future Generations Postman Pat (voice) 1999 Calling All Toddlers Narrator (segment: Postman Pat: Postman Pat and the Hole in the Road) 2002 Calling All Toddlers 2 Narrator (segment: Postman Pat: Postman Pat has the Best Village) 2003 Postman Pat's Magic Christmas Postman Pat, Ten Glen, Reverend Timms, Mr. Pringle, Santa Clause (voice) 2004 Postman Pat's Pirate Treasure Postman Pat, Ted Glen, Alf Thompson, PC Selby, Reverend Timms, Matt Clifton (voice) 2006 Making Children Smile (voice) 2009 The Official BBC Children in Need Medley Ted Glen (voice)

Television

Video games Year Title Role Notes2007 Postman Pat and the Greendale Rocket Postman Pat (voice)