David Jason: My Life (56 page)

Gelder, W. H., 46

Genesis (band), 143–4

Gerry’s (actors’ club), 210–11, 213, 312

Gibb, Barry, 347–8

Giles, Christina, 341

Giles, Katherine, 341

Gilliam, Terry, 161, 167, 174

Glass Menagerie, The
(Williams), 45

Goddard, Liza, 206

Golden Shot, The
(TV series), 109

Golders Green Hippodrome, 109

Goodies, The
(TV series), 250

Goon Show, The
(radio series), 58–60, 162

Gordon, Noele (Nolly), 124–5, 129

Gordon, Richard, 260

Grade, Micheal, 296

Grahame, Kenneth,
Wind in the Willows
, 264

Grant, Bob, 250–3

Gray, Charles, 328–9

Grimaldi, Joseph, 196

Grosvenor Hotel, London, 76, 331

Gulf War (1990-1991), 369–70

Gwenlan, Gareth, 306, 316, 332, 372

Gyngell, Bruce, 375

Gyseghem, André van, 76

Hackett, Mr (headmaster), 34

Hall, Cheryl, 248, 252

Hall, Mark, 260, 264

Hallas, Sue, 378–9

Hamill, John, 128–9

Hancock, Tony, 250

Hancock’s Half Hour
(TV series), 250

Hark at Barker
(TV series), 185–8, 190, 208, 228–9

Harold Hill, London (formerly in Essex), 65, 71

Harris, Rolf, 312

Hart, Miranda, 296

Hassall, Imogen, 215–16, 218–19

Hatch, David, 182–4

Hay Fever
(Coward), 117

Hector’s House
(children’s TV series), 120

Hi-de-Hi!
(TV series), 95–6, 108

Hill, Benny, 250, 260

Hill, Bert, 236

Hilton hotels, 272, 281, 284

Hinchcliffe, Gill (DJ’s wife), 1, 5, 164, 207, 301, 344, 367–8, 372–4, 375, 377–9

Hinchcliffe, Shirley, 378, 379

Hockley, Derek, 79, 294–5, 297, 300

Holliday, David, 61

Hollywood, California, 212–14

Honeymoon Bedlam
(play), 151

Hong Kong, DJ on tour with Derek Nimmo’s company, 272, 284–5

Hordern, Michael, 265–6

Hornsey Drama Festival, 75–6

Howard, Frankie, 110

Howes, Sally Ann, 272

Hugh and I
(TV series), 113, 216, 231

Idle, Eric, 154, 159–64, 167–8, 173–5, 176

I’ll Fly You for a Quid
(TV comedy play), 233

I’m All Right Jack
(film), 250

I’m Sorry, I’ll Read That Again
(radio comedy), 159

Incognito Theatre Group, 39–40, 42–5, 75, 111; DJ becomes patron of, 47

Ind Coope breweries, 79, 295

Innes, Neil, 165

Iran–Iraq war, 286

It Ain’t Half Hot Mum
(TV series), 96, 108

It’s Only Me, Whoever I Am
(pilot TV series), 237–8, 296

ITV (Independent Television): first broadcast, 24; industrial action, 232

Izzard, Brian, 104

Jackson, Peter, 343

Jakarta, DJ on tour with Derek Nimmo’s company, 280, 283–4

James, Sid, 260

Jaques, Hattie, 261

Jason, David (
born
David White)

Life
: birth, 7, 11–13; stillborn twin brother, 12–13; childhood home, 8–9; childhood, 13–24, 259; height, 16, 32, 34, 81, 86–7, 147; talent for mimicry, 32, 34, 238; attitude to religion, 19–20; visits to mother’s family in Wales, 25–30; education, 30–8; performs in primary school play
Around the Town
, 34–5; performs in school play
Wayside War
, 33–7; court summons for theft of lead piping, 37–8; joins Incognito Theatre Group, 39–47; theatre reviews, 46, 92, 106, 107; work experience as grocery boy, 49, 243; first job in a garage, 50–2; attitude to money, 51–2; apprenticeship with the Electricity Board, 53–8, 65–8, 73; attends live recording of
The Goon Show
, 59–60; gets Spike Milligan’s autograph, 61; given free tickets to
West Side Story
, 61; court summons for riding motorbike without learner plates, 62–3; acquires first motorbike, 63–5; first steady girlfriend, 68; decides to pursue acting as a career, 72; goes into business as an electrician, 73–5, 79; wins Best Supporting Actor at Hornsey Drama Festival (1962), 75–6; dissuaded by parents from applying for a grant for drama school, 77–8; cars owned, 79–80, 97, 151, 345; twenty-first birthday, 81; leaves electrical business for acting, 82; applies for auditions, 83–7; offered part as pirate in Southend, 88–9; first professional acting job, 89–92; fees for early acting jobs, 92, 97, 113, 153, 198, 281; origin of stage name, 12, 93; acquires an agent, 98; combines early stage career with electrical work, 98–9; and drugs, 100–3; and alcohol, 104–6; role in 1965 BBC pantomime, 108–13; given contract by Bromley Repertory Theatre, 114–19; moves into flat in Thornton Heath, 117; relationships with women, 118, 144; attempted seduction by Paul Bacon, 119–20; first television drama, 121–2; role in
Crossroads
, 122–31; auditions for a musical, 131–4; in West End production and on tour with
Peter Pan
, 134–40; attitude to clothes, 137, 300; interviewed by RSC casting director, 140–1; visits psychic, 141–2, 203; experience of being on tour, 144–6; diving experience, 1–5, 147–8; television commercials, 147–50; ventriloquism, 149–50; summer season at Bournemouth Pier Theatre, 151; joins cast of
Do Not Adjust Your Set
, 158–68; is almost cast in
Dad’s Army
, 168–9; not invited to join
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
, 174–6; invited to make radio show
Week Ending
, 182–4; first works with Ronnie Barker, 185–8, 227–34; works with Bob Monkhouse, 191–6; dislocates toes during riding lesson, 193–4; plays Brian Runnicles in
No Sex Please – We’re British
, 196–207; dislocates toe again, 205; takes up gliding, 209, 322–3; visits Los Angeles, 212–14; cinema roles, 214–25; sex scenes, 222; meets Myfanwy Talog, 225–6; blows raspberries for
The Two Ronnies
, 232–3; with Ronnie Barker on
Open All Hours
, 234, 241–4; featured in
TV Times
, 235–6; friendship with Ronnie Barker, 244–7; works with Ronnie Taylor on
A Sharp Intake of Breath
, 256–9; voice-over for animations, 256–9; buys house in Crowborough, East Sussex, 268–70; on tour in Australia, the Far and Middle East with Derek Nimmo’s company, 272–86; threatened with a bread knife while filming
Open All Hours
, 289; considered for part of Derek Trotter in
Only Fools and Horses
, 294–299; becomes ‘Del Boy’ in
Only Fools and Horses
, 300–9; buys house in Wendover and moves in with Myfanwy, 310–13; adjusts to fame after
Only Fools and Horses
, 322–3; appears in Royal Variety Performance, 325; wins BAFTA for Best Actor in
Porterhouse Blue
, 330–1; 50th birthday party, 335–6;
A Bit of a Do
and
The Darling Buds of May
, 337–45; death of mother, 345–6; lands part of Jack Frost, 348–51; makes launchable rocket models during shooting of
Frost
, 357–8; loses partner Myfanwy Talog to breast cancer, 362–6; falls in love with Gill Hinchcliffe, 367–8; sends a ‘Trotters van’ to British troops in Afghanistan, 370; end of
Only Fools and Horses
, 371–2; birth of daughter Sophie, 372–4; builds steam engines in his garden, 374–5; buys helicopter, 376–7; marries Gill Hinchcliffe, 378–9; receives knighthood, 377, 379–80

Cartoon voice-overs
:
Danger Mouse
, 260, 263–4;
Count Duckula
, 264;
The BFG
, 264;
Wind in the Willows
, 264–6

Film roles
:
Albert’s Follies/White Cargo
, 214–19;
Under Milk Wood
, 220–4;
The Odd Job
, 224

Radio performances
:
Week Ending
, 182–4;
The Jason Explanation
, 184;
Mostly Monkhouse
, 195

Stage performances
:
South Sea Bubble
, 90–2;
Under Milk Wood
, 93–6, 97–8;
Diplomatic Baggage
, 106–8, 113;
Hugh and I
, 113–14;
Mother Goose
(BBC pantomime, 1965), 108–13;
Aladdin
, 114, 117;
Murder at the Vicarage
, 114–15;
Treasure Island
, 115–16;
The Rivals
, 118–19;
Peter Pan
, 134–40;
No Sex Please – We’re British
, 143, 196–207, 272, ;
Chase Me
,
Comrade
, 151;
Honeymoon Bedlam
, 151;
She’s Done It Again!
191–3;
A Bedful of Foreigners
, 250;
Darling Mr London
, 250–5;
Look No Hans!
312

Television roles
,
Mother Goose
(BBC pantomime, 1965), 108–13;
Softly, Softly
, 121–2;
Crossroads
, 122–31; television commercials, 147–50, 212;
The Dick Emery Show
, 150–2;
Do Not Adjust Your Set
, 158–68;
We Have Ways of Making You Laugh
, 167;
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
, 170–2;
Two D’s and a Dog
, 177–81;
Hark at Barker
, 185–8, 228–9;
Doctor in the House
, 190;
Micawber
, 222;
The Odd Job
, 230–2;
The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs
, 212, 234–7, 249;
Porridge
, 238–40;
Doctor at Sea
, 260–1;
Open All Hours
, 228, 241–4, 247–8, 312;
Lucky Feller
, 248–9;
A Sharp Intake of Breath
, 257–9;
Only Fools and Horses
, 287–92, 294–309, 312, 313–14, 315–22, 323–6, 368–72;
Porterhouse Blue
, 326–31;
A Bit of a Do
, 337–8;
The Darling Buds of May
, 337–46;
A Touch of Frost
, 350–60

Jason Explanation, The
(radio show), 184

Jeffers, Ray (childhood friend), 16, 38

Johns, Stratford, 121

Johnson, Paul, 204–5

Jonathan Creek
(TV series), 184

Jones, Cyril (DJ’s cousin), 26

Jones, Idris (DJ’s uncle), 26, 27–9

Jones, John (DJ’s cousin), 26, 29

Jones, Llewellyn (DJ’s uncle), 26

Jones, Terry, 154, 159–60, 161–2, 167–8, 173–5

Journey into Space
(radio programme), 58

Joy, Mr (schoolteacher), 32–3