And apparently he was far from being a "stupid boy". He and Arthur Lowe (or perhaps it was John Laurie) used to compete for who could solve the Times crossword faster.
Very sad news. I was born in 74, but grew up watching Dads Army as my parents loved it.
Still watch it now whenever I can, have the box-set, and loved the original movie version too.
Now the platoon is all back together, on parade....
Sad news. I very rarely get involved in the RIP threads, but Ian Lavender lived in the same town as me for many years (until he moved out to Suffolk a few years ago) and always came across as a lovely chap who wore his fame with great humility and generosity and not a little bemusement.
I'd frequently see him out and about, just going for a walk or doing a bit of shopping and invariably he'd get cries of of "Don't tell him, Pike!" or "You stupid boy!" as he was selecting a tin of Baxters soup or checking the date on a sliced loaf or queuing for the cashpoint. But he never seemed to mind, always smiled as it were the first time he'd heard it and would happily pose for selfies or pass a few minutes with people who wanted to tell him how much they loved Dad's Army.
Sad news.
"Don't tell him Pike" must be one of the most quoted lines from TV.
Saw Dad's Army at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, many many and even more many years ago.