Bernard Youens

He suffered a heart attack in 1972 and a stroke in 1975, which badly affected his speech, though he recovered slightly with the help of a therapist. In the months leading up to his death, he suffered another stroke and had his left leg amputated due to gangrene.

Rejected the offer of an audition for Coronation Street (1960) when it was being launched.

Received a shrapnel wound to the leg at the Battle of Anzio in 1944.

He was in a play at Stockport's Theatre Royal when he met 'Teddy', who had been training at the Manchester Ballet School, and had gone back stage. They were married some months later when he was in rep in Halifax. He was called up for war service in June 1940, just after their 3rd child had been born, and spent 5 years with the 1st Battalion Loyals Regiment serving in North Africa and Demobbed as a corporal he returned to rep but with productions often not being forth coming was forced to take other work such as working on building sites, and in an ice cream factory, 3 years delivering bread and a year running a Manchester pub, which was a disaster.