Geoffrey Bayldon Dies

This name will mean nothing to many members, but a certain age demographic will be very saddened by the passing of proper British institution and perfect gentlemen. To some he was the hapless wizard Catweazle, transported from the past to Nineteen Seventies England. Too many more he was the Crowman, the mentor and guardian of the scarecrow that came to life, Worzel Gummidge. He was the voice of 'The Wizard', in Eighties Electronic Music's pioneer, Paul Hardcastle's eponymous Top of The Pops theme tune of the same name. He was twice offered the role Dr Who, and turned it down, which I consider a great pity, as he would have fitted the role perfectly. To me and others, the world has become a slightly colder and less colourfully magical place today.

R.I.P. Mr. Bayldon. Sir. A part of my childhood now rests with you.


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a reply to: CulturalResilience

Heard it on the radio earlier , I had a tinge of sadness in my heart but 93 is a bloody good age.

Catweazle was the most magical of programs from my childhood , I downloaded and re-watched it a couple of years ago and it's still worth a watch

Here's episode one The Sun in a bottle.


Farewell Geoffrey and thank you.
Rest in Peace.

Its strange how so many celebrity deaths don't really touch me, even before the glut we saw last year. I am sad about any death of course, but I don't ever feel the need to publicly express inconsolable grief. This one came out of the blue and to be quite honest I hadn't thought about Mr Bayldon and his career in some years, but my reaction to his passing has actually surprised me by the extent to which it has saddened me.

a reply to: gortex

a reply to: CulturalResilience

I saw him in something not that long ago and instantly recognized him , can't remember what program it was but seeing him put a smile on my face.
I think it's also a reminder of how good TV was back them and how bad it is now.

I remember his "cup of tea and slice of cake"! I still say it today! RIP

a reply to: CulturalResilience

The Crow Man character was the best one in Worzel. The episodes with him in it were the ones that stood out the most. I remember one when he presided over a scarecrow court and one where Worzel was having some existential crisis over his multiple heads. Bayldon had charisma.

This'll sound stupid to anyone who didn't grow up with the show. For a kid's show about a lovelorn scarecrow, there were moments of real pathos and decent acting*. Could not stand Aunt Sally though

* based on 30 year old memories of a show I've never seen since.

a reply to: CulturalResilience
The young clientele of a Christian coffee-shop used to call me Catweazle.
I had no access to television at the time, so I've only just learned what I was supposed to look like. Hmm. I was still young and black-haired in those days, so that part of the nickname was defamatory.

I thought he was in his 90's in the 1990's and sure I had heard of his passing many years ago.

Just goes to prove he played an old guy very well.

RIP Geoffrey

I remember him as a face that cropped up a few times in British schlock horror films - in particular, Asylum. Wonderfully hammy, overwrought performance. Plus Tales of The Unexpected.

I don't remember him from Catweazle or Worzel Gummidge.

With perhaps the sole exception of Rentaghost, I avoided daft kids' TV shows like the plague.