A service of celebration was held for David Croft (obituary, September 28, 2011), television producer, director and comedy writer, on March 16 at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.
The service, which was taken by the Rev Richard Carter of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and the Rev Canon Sally Fogden, the former rector of All Saints Church in Honington, Suffolk, opened with the processional hymn Onward, Christian Soldiers. Other hymns sung were Morning Has Broken and I Vow to Thee, My Country. Su Pollard sang Follow Your Heart by Cyril Ornadel and David Croft, accompanied by Roy Moore, and the choir performed a medley specially composed by Rick Wakeman of the music to Are You Being Served?, You Rang, M’Lord?, ’Allo ’Allo!, Oh, Doctor Beeching!, Dad’s Army, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum and Hi-de-Hi! Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas was performed by Sandra Browne Hart, accompanied by Michael Cayton on the organ.
The music was provided by the choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and Premier Brass.
The opening prayer was given by the Rev Richard Carter. Appreciations were given by Jimmy Perry, and by Charles Garland on behalf of Jeremy Lloyd. An extract from the Book of the Revelation of St John the Divine was read by James Moir, the former Head of the Light Entertainment Group at BBC Television. Mark Thompson, the Director-General of the BBC, gave the tribute. The prayers were led by the Rev Canon Sally Fogden and by Rev Richard Carter, who also delivered the blessing. The final paragraph of David Croft’s autobiography You Have Been Watching... was read by Ian Lavender.
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Among those present from the family were Mrs Ann Croft; Mr and Mrs Tim Croft; Mr and Mrs John Croft; Mr Nick Croft; Ms Penny Croft and Mr Peter Farago; Mr and Mrs Oli Farago; Ms Becky Croft Sharland; Mr Patrick Cadell; Mrs Jane Sims; Mr John Sims; Mr and Mrs Richard Croft; Mr and Mrs James Allibone; Mr and Mrs George Crighton; Mr and Mrs Richard Buswell; Mr and Mrs Mike Sharland.
Also present were Mr Alan Boyd; Lady Cotton; Mr Tim Fogden; Lady Freud; Lord Grade of Yarmouth; Mr Vernon Lawrence; Mr David Liddiment; Mr Jon Plowman; Mrs Pat Scutt; Ms Beryl Vertue; Mr Alan Yentob; Mr and Mrs Gyles Brandreth; Mr Gareth Gwenlan; Mr and Mrs Paul Jackson; Mr and Mrs Paul Chapman; Mr and Mrs Ray Cooney; Ms Carolyn Bartholomew; Mr Robert Seatter; Ms Perry Benson; Mr Mike Berry; Mrs Pamela Cundell; Ms Julia Deakin; Mr and Mrs Clive Dunn; Mr Ronnie Grainge; Mr David Griffin; Ms Margot Heyhoe; Ms Sue Hodge; Mr Barry Howard; Mr Gorden Kaye; Mr Sam Kelly; Ms Nikki Kelly; Mr Mike Kinsey; Mr Bert Kwouk; Mr Ron Lynch; Mr Renu Setna; Mr Guy Siner; Ms Laura Spencer; Mr Mike Spencer; Mr Frank Williams; Mr John Burns; Ms Kirsten Cooke; Mr Tom McLaughlin; Ms Tara Daniels; Mr and Mrs Windsor Davies; Mr John Frankau; Mr and Mrs Jeffrey Holland; Ms Ruth Madoc; Mr Rhys Madoc; Mr Terry John; Mr and Mrs Michael Knowles; Mr George Layton; Mrs Joan Le Mesurier; Ms Vikky Michelle; Mr Graham Fowler; Mr and Mrs Bill Pertwee; Ms Linda Regan; Mr Brian Murphy; Mr Paul Shane; Mr and Mrs Frank Thornton; Mr David Webb; Mr Tony Webb; Mr John D. Collins; Mr Arthur Bostom; Mr Giles Watling; Ms Susan Beagley; Mr Chris Andrews; Mr Stuart McGugan; Ms Rikki Kelly; Mrs Pamela Bannister; Mr and Mrs Ronnie Marsh; Ms Amanda Donohoe; Ms Jennifer Coombs; Sir Kenneth and Lady Carlisle; Mr Rob Howe; Dr and Dr Dan Ornadel; Mr and Mrs Richard Spendlove; Ms Geraldine Garner; Mrs Avril Goodenough; Sir Swinton and Lady Thomas; Professor and Mrs John Wallwork; Mrs Diana Burroughes; Mr John Vincent; Mr Peter Evans; Mr Graham Hall; Mr Steve Jamison; Mr Les Lamont; Mr Mike Le Fevre; Mr Chris Wadsworth; Mr David Whitaker; Mr and Mrs Duncan Brown; Mr and Mrs Paul Joel; Mr and Mrs David Lawson; Mr and Mrs Michael McCarthy; Mr and Mrs Roy Gould; Mr and Mrs Mike Stephens; Mr Harold Snoad; Mr Kevin Bishop; Mr Arch Dyson; Mrs Tina Hamilton; Miss Yvonne Littlewood; Mr Sydney Lotterby; Mr Ernest Maxin; Mr Kenith Trodd; Mr Bobby Warans; Mr Stan Appel; Mr and Mrs Martin Dennis; Mr Tony James; Mr Stewart Nicholls; Ms Jean Diamond; Mr Roger Redfern; Ms Jackie Gill; Mr and Mrs Tim Hancock; Ms Lynda Ronan; Mr Rob Grant; Mr Andrew Marshall; Mr Russell Twisk; Mr and Mrs Kit Hesket-Harvey; Mr Wally K Daly; Ms Melanie Howard; Mr Ray Galton; Ms Tessa Le Bars; Mr and Mrs John Lloyd; Mr Paul Minett; Mr Brian Leveson; Mr Harry Venning; Mr David Ramsden; Mr Ken Whitehead; Mr Mark Chapman; Mr Marcus Mortimer; Mr Derek Brady; Ms Beth Tilt; Mr James Gilbert; Mr and Mrs Ed O’Driscoll; Miss Biddy Baxter; Mr Edward Barnes; Mr Piers Hart; Mrs Ian Lavender; Mr and Mrs Roy Moore; Ms Mary Husband; Mr and Mrs Tony Pritchard, on behalf of the Dad’s Army Appreciation; Ms Corinne Fulford, on behalf of the Dad’s Army Museum; Mrs Jocelyn Hay, on behalf of the VLV; Mr Robert Janes, on behalf of the Band of the Coldstream Guards; Mr Simon Albury, on behalf of the RTS; Mr John Vincent; Mr Peter Evans; Mr Graham Hall; Mr Steve Jamison; Mr Les Lamont; Mr Mike Le Fevre; Mr Chris Wadsworth; Mr David Whitaker; Mr and Mrs Duncan Brown; Mr and Mrs Paul Joel; Mr and Mrs David Lawson; Mr and Mrs Michael McCarthy; Mr Andrew Dixon; Mr Terry Elms; Mr Jim Kinally; Mr Peter Laskie; Mr Alan Phillips; Mr Andrew Ruff; Mr Steve Barrett-White; Mr and Mrs David Bedford; Mr Richard Broadhurst; Mr Clive Doig; Ms Sarah Hitchcock; Miss Priscilla Hoadley; Ms Hilary West; Mr Gareth Bevan; Mr John Newman; Mr and Mrs Roy Gould; Mr and Mrs Mike Stephens; Mr Harold Snoad; Mr Kevin Bishop; Mr Arch Dyson; Mrs Tina Hamilton; Miss Yvonne Littlewood; Mr Sydney Lotterby; Mr Ernest Maxin; Mr Kenith Trodd; Mr Bobby Warans; Mr Stan Appel; Mr Tony James; Mr and Mrs Bob Dulson; Mr John Adams; Miss Lesley Begley; Mr John Beveridge; Ms Lesley Bywater; Mr Andrea Corti; Miss Julia Cottrell; Mr Keith Cowper; Mr Bob Gilbreath; Ms Claire Jenkinson; Mr Colin Leslie; Ms Judy Loe; Mr Garrie Mallen; Miss Christine Mellor; Miss Jenny Moir; Mr Rory Sheehan; Miss Anne Throup; Mrs Lyn Took; Mrs Lydia Vine; Mr and Mrs Steve Austin; Mr Louis Barfe; Mr Phil Bishop; Mr and Mrs Adrian Bishop-Laggett; Mr Jeff Booth; Ms Sue Bysh; Mr and Mrs Robin Carr; Mr and Mrs Terry Foote; Mr and Mrs Bill Fowler; Mr and Mrs Alex Giannini; Ms Francesca Gilpin; Ms Kate Greer; Mrs K Johnson; Mr and Mrs Brian Jones; Mr Geoff Miles; Mr Mark Palmer; Ms Maggie Partington Smith; Ms Ann Rosenberg; Mr Bill Wilson; Mrs Sharon Williams; Mr Stewart Nicholls; Mrs Carole Poole; Ms Anita Tyas; Mr Tim Brown; Ms Helen Collett; Mr and Mrs Philip Gunn; Mr and Mrs Adrian Hart; Mrs Jean Phillips; Ms Sara Rush; Mr and Mrs Peter Summers; Mr and Mrs Colin Fenn; Mr and Mrs Colin Stokes; Rev Ian Hamel-Cooke; Ms Jackie Baveystock; Ms Vera Boreham; Ms Shirely Fuller; Mr Martin Jones; Mr Billy McCranor; Ms Anne Mutch; Mr and Mrs J Byford; Mr and Mrs M Champness; Mr and Mrs Alf Percival; Mr and Mrs Albert Rice; Mr and Mrs S Riggall; Mr Sean Wardell; Mr Bobby Bolton; Mr Richard Cox; Ms Celia Darroch-Thompson; Mrs Marie Valk Denholme; Ms Heather Garrick; Mr Tom Lawrence; Ms Netty Poskitt; Ms Vivienne Ben-Shir; Mr and Mrs John Cushing; Mr and Mrs Rob Hargreaves; Mr Trevor Hughes; Mr and Mrs Peter Reeve; Mr and Mrs Philip Reeve; Mr and Mrs Christopher Spicer; Mrs Alexandra Williams; Mr and Mrs Matthew Darroch-Thompson; Mrs J Poskitt; Mr Tom Milford; Mr Henry Creagh; Mr and Mrs P Hamel-Cooke; Mr and Mrs Andrew Hamel-Cooke; Mr Bill Lear; Mr and Mrs Charles Price; Mr John Clegg; Mr Frederick Fox; Mr Martin Jones; Mrs Philippa Catterall; Mr James Hogg; and Mr and Mrs Pablo Claveira