Eric Dodson

Eric Norman Dodson (1 December 1920 – 13 January 2000) was a distinguished English actor hailing from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, known for his extensive work in both film and television.

Dodson initially pursued amateur acting before enlisting in the Royal Air Force in 1941. After undergoing training in Canada, he served in RAF Coastal Command, piloting bombers and working as a liaison officer in Yugoslavia. Once his military service concluded, he returned to the stage, joining a repertory theatre in Edinburgh. He gained notable recognition for his portrayal of bar owner Jack Pomeroy in the popular series Rumpole of the Bailey, spanning its third to fifth seasons. His other memorable television roles include a Brigadier in the sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, appearances in the Doctor Who episode "The Visitation," and as Banyard in the classic series Porridge. Dodson’s film career featured performances in titles such as The Dock Brief (1962), Danger by My Side (1962), Strictly for the Birds (1963), Battle of Britain (1969), The Mirror Crack'd (1980), The Masks of Death (1984), and Jekyll & Hyde (1990).

In the late 1980s, Eric and his wife Rosaline settled in Sherborne, Gloucestershire, where he developed a passion for repairing and crafting harpsichords. He often played the organ at the local church. Unfortunately, illness prevented him from working in the last five years of his life, and he passed away in 2000 at the age of 79.