BORN ON THIS DAY

ISABELLA BEETON (1836-65). The Londonborn writer, best known as Mrs Beeton, penned The Book of Household Management, which sold two million copies in her lifetime. According to the British Library, ‘there is no evidence to suggest she enjoyed cooking or was particularly good at it’. She recommended boiling pasta for 100 minutes. BILL OWEN ( 1914- 99). Born William Rowbotham in London, the actor played Compo (right) — whom he dubbed ‘a geriatric Just William’ — in Last of The Summer Wine for 26 years. A former holiday camp entertainer, owen listed his hobbies as fishing, sex and whisky.