Famous or well known people from your town or city

[Eman]

Gary Puckett

[ROBERT M.]

William Wilberforce ………...politician and leader of the movement to stop the slave trade

[ROBERT M.]

Any more famous or well known people to add to the list ? ……...I've got some more to add, this must be a hotbed city for talent

[john]

Zoe Ball was born in Blackpool.

[karl]

K T Tunstall

[ROBERT M.]

Poet Philip Larkin...………….. who was actually born in Coventry but spent most of his life here and was the librarian at the local University ………….he was offered the position of Poet Laureate while working at the university but turned it down

[john]

Tony Melody. Character actor who appeared in many TV shows over the years, wasn't born here but lived in the area for many years, used to see him occasionally.

[ROBERT M.]

Did you get his autograph John

[john]

No Robert. He was once in a cafe with his wife, and I think he knew we recognized him but we didn't like to impose, especially when they were eating. I think it was just after the time he had appeared in some TV adverts for McDonalds. He was in lots of programmes though, like Sykes, Steptoe And Son, Bergerac, Juliet Bravo to name but a few. I must be going back about 14 or 15 years now, he sadly died in 2008.

[ROBERT M.]

Actress Olivia Colman used to appear in minor roles in comedy sketch programmes like League of Gentlemen etc...…...now she's won Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite

[karl]

Robert Cavanah (he appeared in last night's episode of Shetland)

[ROBERT M.]

Actor John Alderton (Please Sir) fame

[karl]

Actor John Alderton (Please Sir) fame

A great and very underrated actor, I saw him in a play in London years ago. I remember in one scene he had to saw a plank of wood, a woman close by said "Ee he's good at that"!

[ROBERT M.]

So if his acting career fell flat he could have changed professions and become a carpenter

[karl]

Harry Lauder