Guest blog post from John Hughes, who is on Twitter: @hughesjg
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| John Hughes with William Russell, who played Ted Sullivan |
"The Sword-Wielding, Time-Travelling Bon Bon Salesman"
William Russell is best remembered by Corrie aficionados as Ted Sullivan, short-lived second husband of Rita in Coronation Street.
To many others across the globe, however, William is loved and cherished as Ian Chesterton, the first companion for Dr. Who, between 1963 and 1965. And it was at a gathering of the Dr. Who Appreciation Society that I had the honour of meeting "our Ted" this weekend..
As William was welcomed with a spontaneous standing ovation, there took to the stage a man whose stature and razor-sharp wit belied his incredible 93 years. We were all delighted to share an hour, enjoying his tales, his gentle chuckle and noted the twinkle he had in his eyes when asked to recount his exploits in the TARDIS, on horseback (as the hero Sir Lancelot, a pre Who starring rôle) and, of course, his time on the cobbles. You can take a guess at who might've brought that up...
While his time in Weatherfield may have been brief, the legacy William has left on Dr. Who is immense. It was particularly lovely, therefore, to see him awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Doctor Who (presented by Jessica Carney, real-life granddaughter of First Doctor, William Hartnell). This resulted in another standing ovation, and Mr. Russell was very moved by the sheer love felt for him in the hall.
To put into Corrie context, imagine if Pat Phoenix, Jean Alexander or Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn were still with us. Think how much we still love them. That's the reaction 'Ted' received.
A true gentleman, a witty raconteur, a thoroughly decent man. That's 'Rita's Ted'. That's William Russell.
The convention was raising money for Denville Hall, Syrian Refugee Relief, Anthony Nolan and Cystic Fibrosis. All guests, including William Russell, were there to aid the appeals.
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Thanks for the write-up - lovely to hear your account of meeting dear old 'Russ'
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely write-up. I liked Ted, it was a surprise to me when I realised he'd played Ian all those years ago, as I hadn't recognised him. William Russell sounds a delightful man, and it is so nice to read about the affectionate tribute he received.
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