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One of the inevitable consequences of getting old – apart from the dreaded SAGA mailings – is sitting in coffee houses with a complimentary newspaper, scanning the obituary column and discovering that another familiar face from one’s childhood has passed away. “Brace yourself,” my wife is always quick to forewarn me, “You’re bound to come across someone you remember.”

And so it came to pass in December 2015 that I read about Anthony Valentine, a man whose thespian leanings emerged at the age of ten, before going on to enjoy a 50-year career on stage and screen that included credits as an actor, director and writer. Valentine worked consistently throughout the decades on TV dramas such as ‘Coronation Street,’ ‘Minder,’ ‘Lovejoy’ and ‘The Knockwould’ but is best remembered for his roles as Major Mohn in ‘Colditz,’ the ruthless killer Toby Meres in ‘Callan,’ and the gentleman jewel thief in ‘Raffles.’

Like millions of men controlled by the ‘tyranny of sex,’ he would involve himself with beautiful women – there would be a lengthy relationship with Alexandra Bastedo – yet ultimately he would prefer solitude. “I’ve got to get away from people and switch off,” he was wont to say, “Otherwise I get irritable and twitchy and end up by getting in the car and saying “I’m just going round the corner for a packet of fags.” But I end up in the Lake District five hours later.’

He would eventually settle into marriage in the early 80’s, a union that would endure until his death from Parkinson’s disease. Tellingly, he once admitted to a rather simple ethos in life, namely that he didn’t live to act but rather to be happy. One can only hope he succeeded yet I somehow doubt it. It’s after all, such a ridiculous premise, that we can somehow wonder through life skipping with eternal joy. As life knocks the edges off us, it’s so easy to overlook what we’ve become, which invariably is a rather grotesque parody of what we once were. Yet if we can somehow haul ourselves back from this abyss, to become a kinder more thoughtful person again and to put our long suffering partner first, the rewards can be immense. “My wife doesn’t understand me anymore” should perhaps elicit a less than obvious response – “Why? Exactly how awful have you become over the years?”