The third incarnation of Doctor Who and children's TV favourite as Worzel Gummidge, Jon Pertwee had become one of Britain's best loved actors when he died on 20 May 1996.

His work through the decades on both stage and screen has won him praise from critics and public alike, appearing in well over 100 films and further radio, television and theatre productions.

Despite his mixed feelings about being forever manacled in the public imagination to children's television, Pertwee's roles in 'Doctor Who', 'Worzel Gummidge' and 'Super Ted' will always be remembered with great affection.

In his absence, the acting world will forever be a little less bright.

John Devon Roland Pertwee was born on 7 July, 1919, in Kensington, England. He was educated at a number of schools from which he was soon expelled. A later place at RADA in 1936 also ended in expulsion when he refused to play a Greek Wind.

His promising acting career was briefly interrupted in 1939 with the advent of World War Two, during which he transferred from the ill-fated HMS Hood only shortly before it sunk and also worked alongside future Prime Minister Jim Callaghan .

With the war over, Mr Pertwee was free to pursue his dramatic interests and an extremely erratic early career in rep theatre and music hall followed. However, it wasn't until his role in the 1948 naval-based radio series 'Waterlogged Spa' that he found success.

He earned his own radio series in 1950 with 'Puffney Post Office' and his role in the 1963 stage production of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', alongside Frankie Howerd , led to notable cameos in four 'Carry On' films.

In 1969, Mr Pertwee was selected to take over from Patrick Troughton in the cult television series 'Doctor Who.' He made his debut as the Doctor a year later in the programme's first colour episodes, with a regular audience of nine million tuning in. His popular portrayal altogether ran to five seasons from 1970 to 1974.

'Worzel Gummidge' hit British television screens in 1979. Mr Pertwee, in the lead role as a bumbling scarecrow, became an overnight sensation and, such was the success of the show, a stage musical starring the principal performers toured the country to great acclaim in the early 80s.

Besides his voice work in cartoon 'Super Ted', he returned to 'Doctor Who' in 1983 for a 20th-anniversary television movie, 'The Five Doctors.'

He continued to act on stage, screen and radio until his death of a sudden heart attack whilst on holiday in Connecticut, America. He was 76.

Following the instructions in his will, Mr Pertwee was cremated with an effigy of Worzel Gummidge attached to his casket.

In 1971, he was the subject of Thames Television's infamous 'This Is Your Life' and, a year later, released a vocal version of the 'Doctor Who' theme music entitled 'Who Is the Doctor'.

Although he always understood the gravity and importance that his role as Doctor Who commended, it was to Mr Pertwee's credit that he could also appreciate the comic side to the character with spoof appearances on the radio comedy 'Harry Hill's Fruit Corner' and 1983 Children in Need.

According to his first autobiography, 'Moon Boots and Dinner Suits', as a young boy he played with the son of the gamekeeper on the family estate. The gamekeeper, as he later came to realise, was A.A. Milne and his son was Christopher, the inspiration for Milne's later tales of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh.