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Hadleigh Nub News delves into the life of Hadleigh born Patrick Newell.

Born in March 27 1932 in Hadleigh, Patrick Newell was the son of Eric Llewellyn Newell, an physician who served as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

He was educated at Taunton School and completed his National Service with fellow recruit being Michael Caine. After this, he began training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, alongside Albert Finney and Peter O'Toole.

Newell regularly appeared on TV, usually type casted as a "fat" villain or in comic roles. He was a natural stooge, given his rotund appearance, and appeared in several comedy shows - first for Arthur Askey in "Arthur's Treasured Volumes" (1960), then for Jimmy Edwards in "Faces of Jim" (1962), with Ronnie Barker also supporting.

Originally, he was cast in the 1958 "Carry On Sergeant" but, according to producer Peter Rogers, Newell turned up on the first day of filming, only to recognise the real-life sergeant hired to drill the cast as the one who'd made his life hell in the Army. He then, Roger claims, got into his Rolls Royce, drove off and never came back.

His most notable role was as Mother, the spymaster in "The Avengers." Other cult television appearances included roles in "Maigret," "The Persusaders!," the Doctor Who story "The Android Invasion," "The Young Ones," and many more.

Newell played Inspector Lestrade in the 1980 TV series,"Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson," made in Poland. He also appeared as a Playboy Bunny in one of the Benny Hill comedy specials.

In 1984, he landed a significant role as Sutton/Blessington in ITV's popular "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" production of "The Adventure of the Resident Patient," alongside Jeremy Brett.

Later in life, Newell lost a large amount of weight. However, this did not prevent his early death from a heart attack on July 22 1988 in Essex. He was married and had two children.

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