Bert Parnaby

Bert Parnaby (4 March 1924 – 1992) was a British actor who was notable for a string of TV and Film roles from the 1960s through the 1980s. His TV roles included performances in Blackadder, By the Sword Divided, Juliet Bravo, Inspector Morse and Last of the Summer Wine. In 1988, he appeared as Father Christmas in the BBC adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. His film credits included Prick Up Your Ears (1987), The Dressmaker (1988) and The Reunion (1989).
Bert was also a schoolmaster, teaching English at Manchester Grammar School during the 1950s, and subsequently becoming an HMI (one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools).