smudge

He/She is probably in the Land of Nod at the moment, I suspect....

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

Jim

I would definitely go for Noel Purcell!!!

Good morning boys.

sphinxvictorian

Thank you so much for helping me. It was indeed James Robertson Justice I was thinking of. I thought at first it was Hugh Griffiths, but the kind respondent who posted the photographs made me absolutely certain.

Thanks again, and sorry to be so long to acknowledge you all!

NappieB

There was a character who fits the description and was not nearly as famous as JRJ or Hugh Griffiths:

The guy I'm thinking of appeared in "The Navy Lark" (circa 1959 ?) He was tall and thin with completely greyish-white hair and a full beard and moustache. Must have been about 45+ years old in 1959, maybe much older.

He often played naval types, especially "old salts" and was perfect for the part.

"The future is yet to come" - George W. Bush

NappieB

Ah... I see it's been solved while I was writing!

Now the name of the actor that I was thinking of is beginning to bug me...

"The future is yet to come" - George W. Bush

wearysloth

Noel Purcell

Hugh Griffith

Sydney Bromley

if that helps...

NappieB

Thanks Wearysloth!!

I was indeed thinking of Noel Purcell.

"The future is yet to come" - George W. Bush

Aaryk Noctivagus

Noel Purcell always reminds me of 'The Magic Pudding' a book an Australian relative bought me when I was a little boy.

wearysloth

and I was thinking Captain Birdseye (John Hewer)

maturin

Wasn't there an obituary for Captain BirdsEye in the early 70s when the company retired him, then he was resurrected a few years later and soldiered (sailored) on 'till the 90s? I went to school with the Beanz Meanz Heinz boy who was, as I recall, a bratty show biz tyke. Whatever happened to the Milky Bar Kid?

Steve Crook

All his teeth fell out because he ate too much chocolate

There have been many Milky Bar Kids.
The first one, in the 1960s, was Michael Mayne. He appeared on The 100 Greatest TV Ads (2000) to talk aout his experience. But he never did much other acting work.

Steve

Dame Starry

You've just reminded me that, in the 70s, I worked in an International Exchange on the City of London and every morning on the Scandinavian section - I think it was to Norway - we had a personal call booked to a man whose real name, apparently, was......Captain Birdseye. Nothing to do with frozen food though.
There was also a Herr Raiser in Germany, now try asking for HIM while staying professional and not laughing!
It was a difficult job - but someone had to do it.............

Starry x.

Steve Crook

Talking of names you snicker at (apart from my own noble surname)
When I was working/studying in physics and electronics, there is this instrument manufacturer called Wayne Kerr

Sometimes you refer that sort of thing by the name on the front panel. So cries would go across the workshop, "Has anyone see the Wayne Kerr"

Steve

batman

Very good Steve ..... I used to work with a chap called Richard Balls, he used to get really angry if anyone referred to him as 'Dick Balls'.

Bats.

I wish I had claws.

Aaryk Noctivagus

He scored several episodes between 2000 and 2002 of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' didn't he? Thomas Wanker.

I couldn't remember his first name so I searched for his surname on IMDb and the first link that came up was for George W. Bush