Happy Birthday Bernard Cribbins!

Many happy returns to that legend of British comedy, Bernard Cribbins, who celebrates his birthday today. What a joy it is to see Bernard still going strong after all these years.

To us Carry On fans, Bernard will always be remembered for his starring roles in two early 1960s Carry Ons, Jack and Spying. He returned to Pinewood for Columbus in 1992 but not even Cribbins could help that ship sail!

The Carry Ons are only a minute part of Bernard's career, which dates back to the 1950s. He is a legend in children's television, having been a part of both The Wombles and also a prolific storyteller on one of my favourite shows, Jackanory. He has appeared in countless plays and many superb films including Two Way Stretch, She, the Dr Who film Daleks: Invasion Earth, The Railway Children and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.

On television, Bernard has appeared in everything from The Avengers and Fawlty Towers to Coronation Street, Last of The Summer Wine and Worzel Gummidge. 

And he even dabbled as a pop star in the 1960s:

Whatever Bernard is up to today, I hope he has a smashing birthday!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan 

Happy Birthday Valerie Leon!

One of the most enduring, glamorous icons of Carry On celebrates her birthday today. The still gorgeous Valerie Leon was born on this day in 1943. Happy Birthday Valerie!

Valerie is a frequent attendee at fan film conventions and continues to enjoy mass appeal due to her special connection with the three most popular and successful film franchises in British cinema history. She not only starred in six Carry Ons, but also two Bond films (opposite Sir Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me and Sean Connery in the unofficial Bond, Never Say Never Again) and also took a lead role in the Hammer Horror classic, Blood From The Mummy's Tomb.

Valerie provided some fantastic 1970s glamour to several Carry Ons. After making a brief appearance in Up The Khyber in 1968, she was given a couple of memorable scenes to play in the Camping shop in Carry On Camping, working with Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw and Sid James. Valerie would make two further appearances the following year, first of all as Dr Nookey's secretary Deirdre in Again Doctor and later as Leda in Up The Jungle.

Two further Carry On appearances followed - as Jane Darling in Matron in 1971 and finally as Paula Potter in 1973's Carry On Girls. My favourite of all Valerie's roles in the Carry Ons was probably In Jungle - I just can't imagine anybody else playing that part! 

Away from the Carry Ons, Valerie appeared in many other films, including The Italian Job, No Sex Please We're British, The Ups and Downs of a Handyman and the infamous Zeta One (a soft porn/comedy/sci-fi romp co-starring Charles Hawtrey and James Robertson Justice!). Moving on...

Valerie is still proud of her Carry On connection, appearing regularly in documentaries, in the press and at conventions. It's always lovely to hear from her. These days she also tours the country with a series of illustrated talks on her fascinating career. You can find out more about these by visiting her website 

Whatever Valerie is up to today, I would like to wish her a very happy birthday! 

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan

Happy Birthday Sheila Hancock!

Many happy returns to the wonderful Sheila Hancock who celebrates her birthday today. Sheila is well known and often celebrated for her long and illustrious career on stage, film and television. 

Sheila has also become a successful author in more recent years, publishing two memoirs - one about her life with her late husband, the actor John Thaw and another on her life after his sad death in 2002. She has also written her first novel, Miss Carter's War and I was lucky enough to attend a Q&A on this back in 2014.

Sheila has featured in many classic films and television shows over the years but is mainly known to Carry On fans for her definitive performance as Senna Pod, wife of Hengist, inventor of the square wheel, in Carry On Cleo. Sheila was on wonderful form opposite Kenneth Connor. She also worked with Carry On favourite Esma Cannon in the early 1960s sitcom, The Rag Trade and several years later, alongside her life long friend Dilys Laye in My Digby Darling. 

In the early 1960s Sheila co-starred with Kenneth Williams in the West End revue, One Over The Eight. Unlike many of Kenneth's other leading ladies, Hancock took very little of his usual pranks and nonsense, stood up to Kenny and the two became close friends. Sheila even appeared on Just A Minute alongside Kenneth in the late 1960s. It wasn't until recently that I realised Sheila also shares a birthday with the great man.

So whatever Sheila is up to today, I hope she has a wonderful birthday!



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan 

Happy Birthday Bernard Cribbins!

Many happy returns to that legend of British comedy, Bernard Cribbins, who celebrates his birthday today. What a joy it is to see Bernard still going strong after all these years.

To us Carry On fans, Bernard will always be remembered for his starring roles in two early 1960s Carry Ons, Jack and Spying. He returned to Pinewood for Columbus in 1992 but not even Cribbins could help that ship sail!

The Carry Ons are only a minute part of Bernard's career, which dates back to the 1950s. He is a legend in children's television, having been a part of both The Wombles and also a prolific storyteller on one of my favourite shows, Jackanory. He has appeared in countless plays and many superb films including Two Way Stretch, She, the Dr Who film Daleks: Invasion Earth, The Railway Children and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.

On television, Bernard has appeared in everything from The Avengers and Fawlty Towers to Coronation Street, Last of The Summer Wine and Worzel Gummidge. 

And he even dabbled as a pop star in the 1960s:

Whatever Bernard is up to today, I hope he has a smashing birthday!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan