Connect with us

Published

on

Bill Treacher, who played Arthur Fowler in EastEnders, has died at the age of 92.

He was one of the BBC soap’s original cast members and appeared from 1985 until 1996.

Mr Treacher died late on Saturday night after suffering declining health for some time, his family said.

A statement from his family said: “The family of the actor Bill Treacher are sad to announce that Bill died late Saturday night, 5 November 2022.

“He was 92 years old and his health had been declining for some time. He was much loved by his wife, Kate, his son, Jamie and his daughter, Sophie.

“Bill was a brilliant actor and a wonderful husband and father, plus a very fine human being. He will be hugely missed.

“The family respectfully request privacy at this time.”

More on Eastenders

Mr Treacher (left) played Arthur Fowler on Eastenders from the start of the show until 1996
Image:
Mr Treacher (left) played Arthur Fowler on EastEnders from the start of the show until 1996

Mr Treacher was married to Australian actress Katherine Kessey and the couple had two children.

In 2015, he said he had been diagnosed with ataxia, a disorder which can affect co-ordination, balance and speech.

He appeared on the soap from when it started in 1985 until 1996 when his character was killed off after getting into a fight in his allotment.

After EastEnders he had roles in The Bill and Casualty, as well as films including George and The Dragon (2004), The Musketeer (2001) and Tale of the Mummy (1998).

 Bill Treacher with co-stars Wendy Richard and Michael French.
Image:
Bill Treacher with co-stars Wendy Richard and Michael French.

‘A wonderful, wonderful man’

Former cast members paid tribute to the star, with Gillian Taylforth who played Kathy Beale in EastEnders, saying: “I have so many happy memories of Bill, in fact we were only sharing stories of him at work the other day, about how he always had a sparkle in his eyes, usually before he mischievously set us off laughing during scenes.

“Bill was a wonderful, wonderful man who will be truly missed and I am sending all our love to his wife Kate and his family.”

Letitia Dean, another original cast member who played Sharon Watts, said: “Bill really was the life and soul of the set, he was an absolute joy to be around and always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

Mr Treacher with his on-screen wife Wendy Richard who played Pauline Fowler
Image:
Mr Treacher with his on-screen wife Wendy Richard who played Pauline Fowler

“As an actor, Bill was meticulous and he went to great lengths to portray Arthur, from the smallest scenes to the heartbreaking stories.

“Bill was an utter professional, a wonderful man and he will be greatly missed. I’m sending all my love to his family.”

Todd Carty, who played the Fowlers’ eldest son Mark, said: “I’m so sorry to hear about Bill passing, I absolutely loved working with him. He was not only an amazing actor but a kind and sincere man.

“My thoughts are with his family at this time. He’ll be sadly missed, I will never forget him. May he rest in peace.”

‘Thank you for the memories’

A spokeswoman for EastEnders said: “It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Bill Treacher.

“As one of our original cast members, Bill created a much-loved character in Arthur Fowler and, alongside Wendy Richard, they created an iconic family in the Fowlers, who still remain at the heart of the show.

“Bill left EastEnders in 1996, so it is a true testament to both he and the character that he created in Arthur that he is still thought of so fondly.

“Bill will always be remembered for his charm, sense of humour – with a smile that lit up the room – and more importantly as a family man who was devoted to his wife and children.

“Bill will forever be held in great affection by everyone at EastEnders and all those that loved watching him. Rest in peace Bill and thank you for the memories.”

Continue Reading

UK

Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Published

on

By

Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

More on Donald Trump

JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

Continue Reading

UK

Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Published

on

By

Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

Continue Reading

UK

Boy dies after ‘getting into difficulty’ in lake in southeast London

Published

on

By

Boy dies after 'getting into difficulty' in lake in southeast London

A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.

Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.

The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.

“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.

The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.

The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.

In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.

More from UK

google street view inside Beckenham Place park, Lewisham where a 16 y/o boy is missing after getting into difficulty in a lake
Image:
Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon

Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.

The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.

It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”

Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.

Continue Reading

Trending