James Grout

James Grout

James David Grout (22 October 1927 – 24 June 2012) was an English actor of radio and television. Grout was born in London, the son of Beatrice Anne and William Grout. He trained to be an actor at RADA. His radio appearances include Barliman Butterbur in the 1981 Radio 4 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, Headmaster Harry Beeston in all ten series of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series King Street Junior (1985–1998), Professor Richard Whittingham in Andy Hamilton's Hell-based comedy Old Harry's Game (1995–2003), Rev. Timothy Corswell in The Secret Life of Rosewood Avenue (1991) and Any Other Business (1995). Some of his television credits include Dai Owen in Looking For Clancy (1975), Jonas Bradlaw in Murder Most English (1977), Superintendent Rafferty in Turtle's Progress (Series 1 only), Div. Supt. Albert Hallam in Juliet Bravo (1981), The Doctor in Shelley (1982), Mr McAllister in The Beiderbecke Affair (1984), Prof. George Bunn in A Very Peculiar Practice (1988), Granville Bennett in All Creatures Great and Small, Chief Superintendent Strange in Inspector Morse and Mr. Justice Ollie Oliphant in Rumpole of the Bailey as well as the "chief whip" in Yes Minister. He was nominated for a 1965 Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actor (musical) for Half a Sixpence. Other TV roles include George Batt in Mother Love, based on the novel by Laura Black and starring Diana Rigg, David McCallum and James Wilby. Grout lived in Malmesbury in Wiltshire and contributed a weekly column to his local newspaper, the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Grout was married to Noreen, whom he had known since his school days. He died on 24 June 2012, aged 84, at the Ashgrove Nursing Home in Purton after a long illness.

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