If you remember 'Dad's Army'
you'll know that Captain Mainwearing was a pompous old trout with too great a sense of his own importance.

A work colleague of mine, many years ago, recounted the story of her meeting with Arthur Lowe, who played Captain Mainwearing.

She was waiting to be served in a south coast newsagent's shop, with several people in front of her, when Lowe walked in, barged straight to the front of the queue and demanded to be served.

When the other customers protested, Lowe turned to them and said 'Don't you know who I AM?' and resumed his bullying of the newsagent.

He was served first and strutted out triumphantly with his Daily Express and packet of Polos.

The whole cowed shop then indulged in a collective grumble about what a rude, stuck-up old twat HE was...

We used to hear the story several times a year, and shake our heads in disgust. Well, what d'you expect! Jumped-up old trout, thinks he really IS somebody, looks down on us common people...

Then when Lowe died, I read that he was actually a kind and generous man who shrewdly realised that the Great British Public love villains as well as heroes.

He'd deliberately act like the Mainwearing character in public to wind people up, and it is perfectly possible that the newsagent and most of his customers were in on the joke, which was on my colleague and everyone she told.

RIP Arthur Lowe - comedy genius!
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Mon 29 May 2006, 8:35, Reply)