David Fenwick

ferret

ferret

Dedicated Member
I was flicking through the tv channels the other night when I came across the doc' that follows the high court enforcement agents as they execute high court writs etc Can't Pay We'll Take It Away. I was shocked to see David Fenwick from amongst other things First Of The Summer Wine being evicted from his rented apartment. I think it was in London and he was paying a ridiculous amount for a tiny room- really felt for him and hope he's ok. Anyone else see it?
 
His IMDb listing shows his name in an episode as "Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away! (TV Series documentary) - Himself (as David Proctor) - Episode #4.10 (2016)". It's the first listing since 2001.

The Wikipedia article for the series has what sounds like a description of the episode you saw, but it's Series 5, Episode 1, which aired on August 1st. "Paul and Steve evict a former actor from his £1,200 a month one-room bedsit following an end-of-tenancy agreement, but are shocked by the quality of his living conditions." See the full description at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can't_Pay,_We'll_Take_It_Away!?oldformat=true
near the bottom of the page.

It looks alarming and sad.
 
From reading this, the eviction was because the tenancy was at an end. Fixed term tenancies give precious little secuirty for tenants as this shows. David Fenwick played the young Clegg if I recall correctly.
 
Thank you for the information Marianna much appreciated , just to clarify the like is for the information not the predicament David Fenwick has found himself in .
 
The room he was living in was so small there wasn't enough room for the cameraman and the two officers. They said to him that a move to another place would be a step up.
 
ferret said:
The room he was living in was so small there wasn't enough room for the cameraman and the two officers. They said to him that a move to another place would be a step up.
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It certainly would be a step up, but perhaps the reason he hadn't moved at the end of the tenancy was that he couldn't find another place for the same or less money within commuting distance of wherever he needs to be on a routine basis. He said in an interview posted last year at https://firstofthesummerwine.wordpress.com/david-fenwick-on-playing-clegg/ that he had temped doing clerical work and had worked in a bank to fill in between acting jobs. He might be doing something like that and needing to show up for work on time every day.

Was there any indication of the borough or neighborhood where the bed-sit was located? Rents anywhere in Greater London seem painfully high to me.

And hearing about this gives me strong sense of "There but for fortune ..."
 
Yes many actors also have other work they do when they are 'resting', workign in tea shops or in care seems quite common. Only a handful of them achieve almost permanent work. One of the reasons why some of them do not like to remain with a series too long is it may spoil their chances of future work if they become too well known as only playing one part.

Hence the need to have an agent to help secure the next job and negotiate the pay.

Very few are like Wiliam Roache who has, as far as I aware, only ever played one character for nearly his whole acting life - Ken Barlow in the Street.
 
maltrab said:
When these actors are not on our screen, sometimes we forget they are possibly struggling to make a living, unlike years ago when many of them would be in steady demand even if it was only opening a new store
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All the more reason for buying the DVDs of the shows we enjoy, rather than relying on pirated copies on YouTube, Pirate Bay and similar sources. The actors get a residual payment each time a DVD of their performance(s) is sold. It may be only a few pence, but when you're scraping to survive every penny counts.

Here's a Residuals 101 FAQ from the Screen Actors Guild (US) http://www.sagaftra.org/content/residuals-faq. Equity is the equivalent union in the UK, supporting The Actors' Guild of Great Britain. http://www.actorsguild.co.uk/equity/
 
barmpot said:
I once heard that Ian Lavender could live comfortably off the repeats of Dad's Army, as somehwere in the world each day an episode or more may be broadcast. Not such a "stupid boy" ....
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I wonder how many copies of the complete collection DVD set, or the separate season 1 & 2 sets, have sold. Based on mentions of it here, I've saved it in my Amazon.co.uk basket for when I might have time to watch it. There are residuals from DVD sales, too, and that's probably the only ongoing compensation that the First of ... actors are getting from that series.
 
Marianna said:
I wonder how many copies of the complete collection DVD set, or the separate season 1 & 2 sets, have sold. Based on mentions of it here, I've saved it in my Amazon.co.uk basket for when I might have time to watch it. There are residuals from DVD sales, too, and that's probably the only ongoing compensation that the First of ... actors are getting from that series.
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Well I have the set of FOSW but I guess it has never been as popular as LOSW and not repeated as far as I am aware.
 
barmpot said:
Well I have the set of FOSW but I guess it has never been as popular as LOSW and not repeated as far as I am aware.
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I was referring to how much additional income Ian Lavender might be earning from sales of the Dad's Army DVDs. I have FOSW and watch it regularly before starting my one episode per night viewing of LOTSW. Both are a pleasant way to unwind enough to fall asleep.
 
I feel sorry for David Fenwick.

Maybe a Summer Wine prequel set in 1971 would have made good viewing during this Sitcom Season?

Probably around the right age now.
 
wstol said:
I feel sorry for David Fenwick.

Maybe a Summer Wine prequel set in 1971 would have made good viewing during this Sitcom Season?

Probably around the right age now.
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There would have been a Mrs Clegg! Foggy still at Oswestry and Seymour at his remote school. Truly in London. Wesley still working and possibly Wally.
 
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