Funeral date set for Bill Maynard
IT’S been announced Bill Maynard’s funeral will take place a week on Saturday.
Bill, 89, who played Claude Greengrass in the hit TV series Heartbeat, died in a county hospital shortly after breaking his hip in a fall off his mobility scooter.
His family has agreed to make public the arrangements for his funeral in Countesthorpe on Saturday, April 21 at 10.30am.
Mourners are asked to arrive in plenty of time as a large attendance is expected.
It’s also been announced that an episode of Pointless Celebrities which Bill filmed with fellow Heartbeat actor Tricia Penrose in October - his last TV appearance - will be screened this Saturday.
But Tricia, who played the barmaid and subsequently landlady of the fictitious Aidensfield Arms in the hit series for 18 years alongside Bill, has admitted she may not be able to watch it.
Endemol Shine UK, which produces the programme, hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman for the BBC, confirmed the episode with Bill and Tricia will go on Saturday.
Tricia paid a heartfelt tribute to the veteran star of stage and screen earlier this week.
She said: “Bill was an absolute legend, he was such a great actor, such a great character.
“We were together for 18 years on Heartbeat, I just can’t take it in, he was one of my best friends, he used to ring me every day. He was such a good actor, he was such a good friend.”
Despite his 80-plus years entertaining – 64 of them on television – Bill was always waiting for the phone to ring with offers of work.
He took up the invite to appear on the show in the hope of raising money for Macmillan Cancer Care, whose nurses had looked after his late wife, Muriel and daughter Jane.
Speaking in November for an article due to be published when the episode appeared, Bill said: “Alexander Armstrong is a lovely fella, so is the other bloke, Richard Osman - he’d make a good comic.
“Alexander is a super singer. I love them both, I like to watch them, I think they’re both super on TV.”
He added: “One of my big problems is I’m very truthful and I say what I think.
“If you tell people lies they get angry. If you tell them the truth they get bloody furious!
“Even though my body’s gone and anything that doesn’t hurt doesn’t work, I’ve still got my marbles and articulation and a memory like a bloody elephant.
“It’s just that I need to be on TV. I’ve been in the business 81 years.”
Bill’s funeral service will take place at South Leicestershire Crematorium, in Countesthorpe, on Saturday, April 21 at 10.30am. No flowers by request. Joseph Barsby, managing director of funeral directors G. Seller and Co Ltd, of Hinckley, said: “Donations are being raised in memory of Bill, payable to the ‘Leicester Hospitals Charity.’
“All donations will be used for the purchase of pillows at the Leicester Hospitals as Bill really struggled with the shortage of these during his stay.
We ask that people arrive in plenty of time as we are expecting a large attendance.
“Fans are welcome, but we would ask that the family’s privacy and farewell to Bill is respected.”