Frank's at that stage in life . . .

Oct 22 2001 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FRANK Thornton is an actor with a pedigree.

He first trod the boards on April 1, 1940, in Ireland, and since then has appeared with the great and the good.

So he is well qualified to talk about Last Of The Summer Wine, the show in which he has starred for the past five years.

He sums it up in one word: "Incredible".

A simple testimony for a series that is approaching a record-breaking 30th year.

Relaxing at The Huddersfield Hotel after work on location Thornton, an extremely healthy 80, expands on Wine's success.

"Writer Roy Clarke is responsible for an institution. Only he could do something like this.

"I once did a play called The Father Of The Bride on TV and thought it was brilliantly written. It was only much later, as a I relaxed at home and sorted through some old material, that I recalled Clarke was the writer.

"It is hard work, of course, quite intensive especially when we are here in Yorkshire.

"But that's the lovely thing about being an actor; they don't want old dancers, they don't want old singers but there's always something for old actors.

"How many people at my age can get a job as good as this one?

"Why has it been so successful? It's Roy's quirky writing, wonderful lines for wonderful characters."

Thornton, who plays Truly, began his acting career in what were known as Irish fit-ups; touring plays that went from village to village in the 1940s.

The pay was £2 10s a week and out of that, he paid 25s for his digs.

He returned to England and worked with a Shakespeare company before being called up into the RAF. It was in 1947 that he returned to the theatre and has never left it.