Brian Blessed mistaken over Patrick Stewart - Yorkshire Post letters

HAVING read Ann Chadwick’s feature about Brian Blessed (The Yorkshire Post, January 13), I feel I must write to correct Mr Blessed’s story.

Brian Blessed on his life as an actor and explorer and why he still seeks adventure into his 80s

He states “Patrick Stewart was in the next village” to his own (Mexborough). He goes on to say Patrick’s father was a milkman who knew the whole of Julius Caesar whereas his own father, a coal hewer, knew the whole of Hamlet.

Perhaps the fact of his father’s knowledge is true but I doubt that as I know that Patrick’s father was a professional soldier (a Regimental Sergeant Major) not a milkman, he knew the whole of Julius Caesar. A news article regarding Patrick (January 15) stated he was born in Mirfield and attended the local secondary modern there, having his first taste of acting following his casting in a play – presumably by “the brilliant teacher” referred to by Mr Blessed. Now Mirfield is nowhere near Mexborough (Mr Blessed’s home town) and so how that same teacher convinced the council to give the pair scholarships to drama college is difficult to imagine, especially as Patrick’s first job was as a cub reporter on the Dewsbury Reporter.

As Mexborough and Mirfield were both served by the same council (West Riding County Council) it could be possible for both actors to receive scholarships from the same council but probably not in the same year.