Roy Clarke facts for kids

Royston Clarke (born 28 January 1930) is a famous English comedy writer. He is best known for creating popular TV shows like Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances, Open All Hours, and its newer series, Still Open All Hours. His shows have made millions of people laugh for many years.

Roy Clarke's Early Life

Roy Clarke was born in a place called Austerfield in England. When he was young, he had many different jobs before he became a writer. He worked as a teacher, a police officer, and even a taxi driver. He also served as a soldier in the British Army. These experiences might have given him ideas for his funny characters and stories!

A Career in Comedy

Roy Clarke started his writing career in the late 1960s. He first wrote exciting thrillers for BBC Radio. Soon, he began writing for television, where he found his true calling in comedy.

Creating Classic TV Shows

Roy Clarke wrote every single episode of the very popular show Last of the Summer Wine. This show was about three older friends and their funny adventures in the countryside. At its most popular, over 18 million people watched it! He also wrote a show that came before it, called First of the Summer Wine.

He also created other well-loved comedy shows:

• Open All Hours: This show starred Ronnie Barker and David Jason. It was about a small grocery shop and its funny owner and assistant.
• Keeping Up Appearances: This comedy starred Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket, a woman who tries very hard to seem fancy and important.
• Still Open All Hours: Years later, Roy Clarke brought back Open All Hours with David Jason in the main role. This new series was also very popular.
• Young Hyacinth: In 2016, he created a special episode that showed what Hyacinth from Keeping Up Appearances was like when she was younger.

Roy Clarke's Other Works

Besides his famous sitcoms, Roy Clarke also wrote for films. He wrote the movie Hawks (1988) and the drama A Foreign Field (1993), which was well-liked.

Awards and Honors

Roy Clarke has received many special awards for his amazing writing.

• In 1994, he was given the "Freedom of the Borough of Doncaster." This is a very high honor from his local council.
• In 2002, he received an OBE. This award from the Queen recognized his great contributions to British comedy.
• In 2010, he won a special lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards. This award celebrated all his hard work and success over many years.

Roy Clarke's Personal Life

Horton Rounds - a house with a unique circular design.

Roy Clarke lives in the countryside in England with his wife, Enid Kitching. For some time, he owned a very interesting house called Horton Rounds. This house in Northamptonshire has a unique circular design!

See also

• Keeping Up Appearances (characters and episodes)