Bernard Cribbins made close friends for life when he co-starred as the friendly station doorman, Mr Perks, in Lionel Jeffries’s The Railway Children (1970). One such friend was Jenny Agutter, then 17 years old, in one of her earliest film roles. The news of his death is devastating to Agutter. “It was a shock,” she admits, “because he seemed like someone who would go on and on and on and on and on. So, many people will be sad to lose him.
“There are few people who are such an all-rounder, who can do as much as he does. For me, I was so lucky to work with him when I did. He was just a constant delight and immensely generous. entertainer He would sing songs and jokes every day on that set, and me and… Sally [Thomsett] and Gary [Warren] handcuffed. Therefore, both children and adults were fascinated by him. As Mr. Perks, he was very moving, but also very, very funny.”
When The Railway Children came out, Agutter was on the brink of adult fame – she would be the next star walkabout for Nicolas Roeg, and would soon win an Emmy for a TV adaptation of Paul Gallico’s The Snow Goose. Cribbins, who had already been spotted in a few Carry Ons, would become one of the most famous voices in any English living room when he narrated The Wombles (1973-75), and he did more reading stints on Jackanory than any other actor.
Agutter maintained a close relationship with him over the phone. “The fact is that he was always there for other people. That’s why I say he was so generous. It wasn’t about him. It was about everyone – giving to people, letting you enjoy your work, or your life, or whatever was going on. He was always a pleasure – a very special person to be around.
“And he was a great communicator. He would call me every year on my birthday – and I will really miss that call this year.”