Sadly, Peggy Cole called me today, to tell me that Ted Deadman died on Wednesday 17 January 2007.

Ted brought real joy to the film of Akenfield. His jokes and his larger than life character were his own creation. The roles of Ted and Molly were not in the original script, but after their first day’s shooting we kept asking them back and their characters grew with the filming. Such was their mark; the characters they played in the film were naturally called ‘Ted’ and ‘Molly’.

I will always get great pleasure from Ted’s wonderful dialect. It was only fully intelligible to the people of Suffolk; people from other parts of the world, though always enjoying his performance never fully understanding quite what was going on.

Ted’s funeral will be at the Ipswich Crematorium on Tuesday 30 January at 10:15. It will be followed by a memorial service at Hintlesham Church. The family have asked for no flowers, but for donations to the Suffolk Punch Society.

Our love goes to Ted’s family, especially his children Lucy and David, who as very small children also appeared in the film.

Rex