It has been announced that actor, stage director, and dramatist Ron Pember has sadly died at the age of 87.
An respected actor of the stage and screen, who was best known for his supporting roles in shows including iconic British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, BBC drama Secret Army, and much-loved BBC comedy Red Dwarf, the death of the Essex-born actor Pember was announced on social media yesterday by his grandson, Paul Pember.
Born in Plaistow in 1934, Pember enjoyed a career stretching over thirty years, where he was a character actor in British television productions in the 1970s-1980s – usually in bit-parts, or as a support playing a worldly-wise everyman.
In a tweet confirming his sad passing, Pember’s grandson said: “The sadness now is the happiness then.
After making his TV debut in the early 1960s, as mentioned, one of Pember’s most recognisable roles was when he appeared in an episode of Only Fools and Horses in the 1980s, portraying Baz – the unenthusiastic Chairman of the Tenants’ Association.
He also stared as Belgian Resistance fighter Alain Muny in BBC drama Secret Army, which he played from 1977 to 1979.
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Other parts Pember played included TV series The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, legal drama Crown Court, The Dick Emery Show, and The Two Ronnies.
When it comes to his career on stage, Pember was known for co-writing the stage musical entitled Jack the Ripper (1974), about the Victorian murder spree in London in the late 1880s, which is still regularly produced by amateur theatre groups and companies around the globe to this day.
He also acted with the National Theatre Company from 1965 to 1968, as well as acting and directing plays at the Mermaid Theatre in London.
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Since the announcement of Pember’s passing, tributes have come flooding in on social media.
RIP Ron Pember. A terrific character actor, stage director and dramatist who made a memorable appearance in Series II’s Better Than Life.
The official Twitter account for Only Fools And Horses reposted the tribute and celebrated Ron’s life and incredible acting skills, adding: “We are saddened to hear of the news of the death of Ron Pember who played Baz in the series 3 episode, Homesick. Our thoughts and warm wishes go to his family and friends.”
Actor Danny John-Jules, who played the Cat in Red Dwarf, also paid tribute to Pember: “Just heard the sad news that Ron Pember has passed away. He was such a gentleman with us upstarts when he appeared on Red Dwarf He just rammed his tongue firmly into his cheek and joined the party – What a legend. RIP.”
Just heard the sad news that Ron Pember has passed away. (Tuesday) He was such a gentleman with us upstarts when he appeared on #RedDwarf He just rammed his tongue firmly into his cheek and joined the party! What a legend. RIP pic.twitter.com/8smNqbbUKW
The official Red Dwarf account also said: “RIP Ron Pember. A terrific character actor, stage director and dramatist who made a memorable appearance in Series II’s Better Than Life.”
Music theatre label Stage Door Records has too paid tribute on Twitter, writing: “We’re so very sad to learn that actor and composer Ron Pember has passed away.
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“It was such a joy to work with Ron and his wife Yvonne on the debut CD release of Ron’s musical ‘Jack the Ripper’, and we’ll always cherish those wonderful meetings we had together for the album.”
We're so very sad to learn that actor and composer Ron Pember has passed away.
It was such a joy to work with Ron and his wife Yvonne on the debut CD release of Ron's musical 'Jack the Ripper', and we'll always cherish those wonderful meetings we had together for the album. pic.twitter.com/sedOSYpt0e
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Urgent travel warning issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is gearing up for what is set to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Manchester‘s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park this weekend (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June), with tens of thousands of people expected to make the journey to see headliners Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, as well as many other well-known music names… but that’s not all.
Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows across the weekend, while the Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June, when South Africa take on India.
So, as you can see, we’ve got a jam-packed couple of days coming up.
📣 This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester, with multiple events taking place across the city.
🚗 Public transport, roads and venues are likely to be extremely busy.
🕛 If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time… pic.twitter.com/iqtmlSpAOR
In fact, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of a million people are expected to be travelling to the various events over the weekend, and of course, this means the roads and public transport will be significantly busier than usual.
Whether you’re one of the many fans or just making a regular journey, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising everyone to ‘plan ahead’, allow extra time for their journey, and avoid the busiest areas and times.
To prepare for the increase in travel, TfGM has confirmed that there will be more trams serving event venues, alongside extended tram operating times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
For travel to and from Parklife, the specific Parklife travel ticket – which will be available on the Bee Network app – is valid on trams and buses across Greater Manchester, and this includes relevant shuttle buses operating to and from the city centre.
An urgent travel warning has been issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year / Credit: Steve Turvey (Supplied) | TfGM
Throughout the weekend, extra staff and TravelSafe Support Officers will be out and about across the transport network to help passengers, and TfGM will be working closely with police and other partners to manage roads and the transport network around the clock.
“We’re expecting it to be very busy across the network, with more than a quarter of a million fans travelling to various sports and music events,” commented Danny Vaughn, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We will have as many staff as possible on the network, running as many services as we can to ensure that the Bee Network is here to help you get where you need to go.
“So, for everyone looking to get out and about, please plan ahead, check the Bee Network app for updates and have a safe journey.”
A dedicated travel page for this weekend’s event has been set up, so you can find out everything you need to know and get live updates on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
11th March 2022 
