Career: Cole made his big-screen debut in 1941's Cottage to Let, but didn't achieve fame until he landed the part of Flash Harry in the classic St Trinian's films. He went on to have a successful career on stage, TV and in movies, often appearing opposite mentor Sim in such productions as Scrooge and The Green Man. TV credits include My Good Friend, Dad, An Independent Man, Blott on the Landscape and Minder, which ran for 15 years. In his later years, he appeared in Station Jim, Bodily Harm, Mary Reilly, A Class Apart, and Diamond Geezer. He died on August 6, 2015, after a long illness. He was 90.

Career: At 16, Waterman returned to Britain and concentrated on stage work until an acclaimed performance in 1968's Up the Junction led to more film roles. Low-budget movies (such as Scars of Dracula) and TV shows (including Colditz) followed until, in 1974, he co-starred with John Thaw in Regan, the pilot episode of iconic series The Sweeney, which became a major TV hit. A 10-year stint in comedy drama Minder followed. Other projects include TV shows On the Up, Stay Lucky, and Circles of Deceit. He's also worked on the stage, most notably in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and My Fair Lady. As Gerry Standing, in BBC drama New Tricks, he has introduced himself to a new generation of fans.

Career: Reid's big break came on radio when she played naughty schoolgirl Monica in Educating Archie. Comedy roles followed in a number of TV programmes, including The Benny Hill Show, Bold as Brass, Beryl Reid Says Good Evening, Alcock and Gander, and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4. Heavily in-demand, she made countless one-off guest appearances in the likes of Cracker, Boon, Bergerac, Minder, Worzel Gummidge, Agony, and The Goodies. Away from comedy, she won a Tony award on Broadway for playing the lead in The Killing of Sister George, a role she recreated in the film version. She won a lifetime achievement award at The British Comedy Awards in 1991. She died on October 13, 1996, at the age of 77.

Career: Maynard's big break came in 1951 when he worked with comedy actor Terry Scott at Butlins in Skegness. Maynard began getting work on radio shows for the BBC and it was at this time he changed his name. His first TV appearance came in 1953 when he performed on Henry Hall's Face the Music. In 1955, he partnered with Terry Scott again on popular comedy TV series Great Scott, It's Maynard! He then switched to acting and was soon starring in the West End in You Too Can Have a Body. He continued to have success on the stage throughout the 1960s but by the end of the decade he was forced to return to doing stand-up in working men's clubs to earn a living. An offer to play a part in the film version of Till Death Us Do Part (1969) came out of the blue and this led to work on the big screen in the Carry On films and the Confessions Of movies, and on the small screen in popular sitcoms Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt, Selwyn, and The Gaffer. In 1992, he landed the role of Greengrass in Heartbeat, a part he would play on the series until 2000 when he was forced to retire temporarily from acting after suffering a number of strokes. He returned to the Greengrass character in 2003 in Heartbeat spin-off The Royal.