The Daily Telegraph from London, Greater London, England • 21

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Features THURSDAY MARCH 12 1998 21 He is the top cop so why asks Jan Moir has John Thaw always felt inferior? Picture: CHARLES HOPKINSON These boys a riot felt the lack of a But I suppose that children realise instinctively that every tiny courtesy entails a slight submission of the ego and my spoilt generation must be the most egocentric in history I am not saying that my friends are an unpleasant bunch In fact apart from their lack of manners I find them extremely good-natured and engaging Having none of my respect for adults they have none of the fear or shyness that we had either One of our 10-year-old guests whom I had never met before sat next to me in taking a brief break from rioting and immediately struck up a conversation So you are still eating he said noticing my revolting Big Mac (another surprising thing only one of the 13 chose beef the rest opted for chicken) And we were away like old friends in the pub discussing food safety and the risks of smoking subjects on hich his generation is voluminously if misguidedly informed After lunch the boys play ed football on the common in the rain And again I was struck by how good-natured they were When my six-year-old got the ball they would allow him to win every tackle and the goalkeeper deliberately let his shots through Others peeled off from the game from time to time to kick around another ball with my four-year-old and keep him entertained Only one of our nine guests kept out of the game and that was for a reason that also throws light on the differences between his generation and mine He was wearing brand new jeans and trainers Nike trainers and Levi jeans no less and did not want to get them muddy YY hen their parents came to pick them up all the boys thanked me and my wife profusely for the party a few of them even managing the words without a parental nudge in the ribs But one last thing struck me about their manners Although I had met only a couple of them before Sunday they all called me by my Christian name like over-familiar PR men do HRH is not the only courtesy title under threat As my generation grows up we may well see the end of Mister I HAD Sunday lunch at in charge of 13 young boys wishing fervently that I was somewhere anywhere else They were blowing paper pellets at each other through their drinking-straws stuffing handfuls of crushed ice down the backs of each shirts and dropping chips dipped in tomato ketchup on the floor YVe were celebrating my second 11th birthday and nine of the boys were friends of about his age The others were my own progeny When I told them sharply to stop it they ignored me and even after a waitress said other customers were complaining they carried on as riotously as before I am constantly surprised by the dreadful manners of my generation may not be the Savoy Grill and perhaps they would have behaved a little better there but I am quite sure that in my childhood we would not have run riot in any public place with grow n-ups around And most certainly would not have carried on after being rebuked by the father of a friend The amazing thing is that these boys and mine are as bad as any of them all come from professional middle-class families Their parents have perfectly good manners So it is a great mystery to me why their children our children have none I see it every time I pick up the boys from school In the going-home crush it never occurs to any child to hold open the door for a mother carrying a baby When I hold it open six or seven children always barge in front of anyone about to step through In my day that would have been a thrashing offence These days it passes without comment YYhat surprised me most of all in was that not a single one of those 13 boys said ou" when the waitress handed each of them a free Disney mask They all chorused their thanks in the end hut only after I had loudly instructed my sons to do so I have never understood why it is so hard to teach children to say and without prompting After the incessant reminders of their parents it should come to them as naturally as the language itself as automatically as and JUST as a fresh fall of snow lends splendour to an old gasworks John frosty whiskers have given his melancholy face an unexpected sprit of joviality mown this for a he savs clawing his cheeks and having a good old scratch It's so itchy and Thaw now 56 has always looked at least a battered decade older than his real age but oddly enough his new beard makes him look younger You think so? Ahhh I dunno I was born he sighs Has he ever minded looking so ancient? Yes and no as it happens never bothered with mirrors certainly not yvith a face like this It may have been good for my career but that mean to say that I have to be happy with it" He is a modest and shy man never at ease when talking about himself and prone to surfing even the merriest of inquiries on a wave of drenching gloom No he says he carry on playing older and older characters when he reaches his own sixties and seventies Why is that John? I'll be How can he be so sure? He taps his packet of cigarettes "I smoke too many of He has tried to give up but nicotine withdrawal made him edgy snappy and ratty" After driving his wife (the actress Sheila Hancock) and daughters mad he decided he would much rather smoke and be pleasant and for sake As the only man of the household he appears to have made rather touching efforts to be accommodating When they nag him about wearing the same jacket for weeks on end matter to he obligingly trots to the wardrobe to select another one Once during an Italian holiday his wife developed a taste for the local coffee and Thaw decided to give her a surprise When they returned home he rushed out to buy her the most expensive espresso machine he could find ma chine was out of the box twice then it was back to good old Nescafe" he says no good at When the girls were growing up he and Sheila have one daughter each from previous marriages and one of their own he felt rather excluded and teenagers have a lot to talk about I did feel a bit of an outsider that I was no use to Despite being affectionately henpecked at home Thaw is viewed quite differently by his public as far as most of us are concerned he is the small screen embodiment of the law He appeared in Cars hen he was only 19 and three years later he starred as Sgt John Mann in a military police series called Redcap Later his gnarled profile and slumpy eyes served him well in the trinity of roles that made him a household name: Detective Inspector Regan Kavanagh QC and Inspector Morse "I plan it that he says put your hand up and say: Please sir can I play a policeman? It is just the way it has gone I suppose it has to be something do with my looks and my weight Not my physical weight my um the word?" Gravitas? Gravitas That will do Although I could never do the job in real life a bit of a coward really I ever want to confront a bank robber with a sawn-off shotgun thanks very much" He has sometimes worried about being typecast but admits that being a top cop for so long has had undeniable benefits Although he has a taste for fast cars and has been stopped for speeding several times he has yet to be issued with a ticket Once a member of the Merseyside constabulary flagged him down and then recognised him you mind not speeding when in Liverpool Mr he asked politely before sending him on his way A new series of Kavanagh QC begins on Tuesday and in a am a much nicer person than 20 years ago Then I never thought twice about hurting says Thaw few time Thaw will begin work on the last ever episode of Inspector Morse are gointi to sav goodbve quietly I realh enjoyed it and thank God others did too" he says Next week he eschews murderous villains and begin' filming Coo Sight Mister Tom a children's stoic in which he plays a countrcmau hence the whiskers echo has to look after a young evac -uee at the outbreak ol the Second World War thought it would be mc for a change to do a fanulv film something everyone could sit down and watch together A lot of youngsters find Morse and Kavanagh terribly boring It is an odd thing to say about two wildly successful television series You appreciate everything a little bit more the seasons our garden You stop worrying about tomorrow or wondering where we go After spending many years feeling so uncomfortable in his own skin that his only succour was to pretend to be someone else it is good to hear that he has finally learnt to smell the roses He has no plans to give up acting even though he is successful enough not to have to take it too seriously "It's not a job for a grown-up it really isn't Why would anyone want to dress up in someone else" clothes and put on a wig9 It's not really normal I The neic senes of kavanagh QC made by Carlton begins next Tuesday at 830pm on IT TELEGRAPH READER OFFER TELEGRAPH GARDEN OFFER Help eliminate dangerous blind spots while driving Elegant and Practical Garden Ankle Boots for just £1595 Slip your feet into something comfortable for working in the garden and out and about Comfortable and lightweight our elegant ankle boots are less cumbersome than tradinonal and arranged to meet her didn't feel angry in fact I was very much looking forward to it I was like a boy on his first date I felt that I had to look smart and nice" They talked "like old and met once again before she died in 1971 By then Thaw was married and had a baby girl "She would ask me how my daughter as but she would never refer to Abigail as her granddaughter" A mother and son pretending to be mere acquaintances seems to be to say the least an emotionally cauterised way of dealing with the situation but Thaw feels it was the only option open to them mean what could she say9" he concludes He admits however that his splintered upbringing did leave him with a residual hostility "I have been angry I had a chip on my shoulder and it ould be explained bv that I hope I've got over it Or as they sav these days come to terms with it" Clearly these shaky underpinnings have shaped his life driv ing him into an early and brief marriage with Sally Alexander a stage manager and later into the arms of actress Sheila Hancock Sally the daughter of a financier came from a comfortable middle-class background whereas Sheila like him was emergent working class and fired with the same ambitions This Christmas the couple celebrate their silver wedding But bearing in mind the coffee pot calamity he knows better than to plan surprises "Sheila has to be consulted about everything 1 daren't take the risk of booking a villa The couple went through a rocky patch 10 years ago hen Sheila after discovering she had breast cancer wanted some time alone to cope with her diagnosis Briefly parted they realised how much they were in love and the marriage subsequently flourished and strengthened His wife he grumbles was made out to be kind of Shirley when she tried various therapies to conquer the disease but it was an approach he encouraged "Homoeopathy new ageism macrobiotic diets all those sort of things If they were good and supportive things for her then absolutely By all means She is now a Quaker an elder and she enjoys that and gets a lot of support from her fellow Religion is not important to him but he feels that their lives have changed for the better since his diagnosis change if she leave why 1 she us but Thaw has never been one to gambol in the sunshine when the broody shadows beckon He has never he savs had much confidence and only recenth began actually to like himself I am a much nicer person than I was 20 ears ago Then 1 newer thought twice about hin ting people or humiliating them Now 1 try not to offend or embarrass anyone" What was his problem9 1 had an inferiority complex when 1 started in this business and it has taken a long long time for it to diminish It gone completely but at least 1 can cope with it He had a bleak upbringing in Manchester after his mother walked out when he was sew en and his ounger brother was five His lorry driver 1 father was often on the road and it was left to 1'haw to feed and look alter his sibling I fob toe lac of a mother to be honest We did feel rejected we couldn't understand win she had gone What had we done wrong? Fven if she had to leave im dad win didn't she take- us with her'' Win didn't she9 She went off with a bloke who didn't want us presumably simple as that 1 hew were- not pocu as such but he remem be i Show his a i i had to borrow mom to bin lothes and the tallyman turning up cw er Friday with the a -incuts book One of the things that made me positive driven about my career was that I never wanted to go back to that again As an actor I don't have a need to show off on stage I have a need to have a nice roof ov er my head and a nice bed to sleep in At school he got one O-level another source of insecurity and worked as a porter in Manchester's fruit market He had already shown promise in school plays and tired of the back-breaking market work thought he might as well give acting one last go Helped by an inspirational teacher he won a place at RADA when he was only 17 When he turned up foi class in his prized Teddy Bov gear drape jacket and drainpipe jeans every one laughed "People looked at me as if I was some kind of two-headed monster It vvasn a very good start to my career Not only was I dressed like that I was also talking like a Manchester fruit porter Everything was While briefly working for Granada when he was 20 he heard that his mother was running a pub near the television studios in Manchester I AO had my cl Id) take with 1 to dad 1 Wellington boots and are indispensible for a variety of outdoor activities Made from flexible PVC these stylish ankle length boot' are fully aterproof and have a soft cosy-nylon lining to keep your feet snug while gardening walking the dog hanging out the washing emptying the ng bin their uses are endless! Non-slip soles make them ideal when it is wet and muddy underfoot and they are even tough enough to protect feet whilst using tools Our attractive ankle boots are not overshoes they are sturdy moulded plastic footwear that can be easily slipped on and off and quickly cleaned with warm soapy water Keep a pair handy dv the back door! 456 warm sock deep forest green cherry red and yellow in sizes 3 Please note: the sizes are generous to allow for a Extra long safety mirror only £895 Designed to make driving safer this clever extra-long mirror has been created to eliminate dangerous blind spots Ideal for overtaking changing lanes parking and motorway driving wider than conventional mirrors and those valuable extra inches give you a wider field of vision and enable you to see clearly around the sides of your vehicle Fitted in seconds to your existing rear view mirror it also features an in-built thermometer and compass perfect accessories for any motorist Measuring a long including compass and thermometer it is designed to fit all standard rear view mirrors On offer for just £895 the perfect choice for any motorist They are available in black navy 6U 7 and 8 for just £1595 Garden Ankle Boots Order Delivery will be within 28 days fol-p-lowing our receipt of your order You can return within t4 days jdr a full Please send 1 Qty Pncc otal V2065H654 Three in one driving mirror ORDER BY PHONE OR BY POST Please indicate in box quantity required I enclose crossed chequePO value made payable to TELEGRAPH OFFERS (no cash please) or debit my Access Visa DeltaMasterOard American Express account by the amount above 001 TGBT4 TELEGRAPH OFFERS or please debit the sum of from my MastercardVisa account Card number: Card Number 1 1 1-1 I I 'xpiry date Expiry date: isfied Offer subject to availability ORDER BY TELEPHONE I OR BY POST I TTCALL 01245 326001 for enquiries or to place an order via our 24 hour credit card order service Please quote Ref: 001 TCBT4 E3use the coupon to order by post sending a crossed cheque (address on back) or postal order or quoting your MastercardVisa number PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH Send your payment and order coupon to: THE TELEGRAPH BOOTS OFFER PO BOX 225 SOUTH WOODHAM FERRERS CHELMSFORD ESSEX CM3 5XT can be made to all addresses in the UK Please allow 28 days from our receipt of order QRu Boiif Srlegnqjfi Grated ft Okr I Canadi Sqwrar lonAn E14 9ri I I Please use block capitals Name: (MrMrsMissMs) Delivery Address: Please use block capitals MrMrsMiss (Initials) Address CALL 01509 638625 24 hours 2 day 7 days a week to place an orJer paying by credit card service Enquiry lines open 830 to 1900 Monday to Friday 830 to 1630 Saturday and Sunday Please quote Ref I SI USE THE COUPON to order by post sending crossed cheque or postal order (name and address on back) or quoting your credit card number PLEASE DO NOT SEND AS! 1 Send your payment and coupon to: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH DRIVING MIRROR OFFER (V2065) BELTON ROAD WEST LOUGHBOROUGH LEICS LEH 3X1 DELIVERY Can only be made to addresses in the UK Although we aim to despatch as soon as possibc please allow up to 1 4 days for delivery Subject to availability If you are not fully satisfied please return within 7 days for a refund Wht 2Sa (Megraph TV Tdcpfb Graf La led Ref Endvl 451593 RefOfrc I Crab Sqwrt Lontk EI4 5DT Daytime Tel: Postcode Signature I I I I Postcode: Daytime Tel: Signature: On which days do you normally buy The Telegraph? Mon 1 Tues 2 Wed 3 Thurs 4 0 Fn 5 3 Sat 6 Sun 7 CD Buy 8 Year of Birth: 19QJ If you would prefer not to receive information and offers from organisations arcfully selected by Telegraph Group Limited please nek here Dunng an average week on which days do you buy The Telegraph? Mon 1 Tues 2 Wed 3 Thurs 4 Fn 5 Sat 6 Sun 7 buy 8 Year of Birth 19 If you would prefer not to receive information and offers from organisations carefully selected by The Telegraph please tick here V2065.