Co-stars say 'Bye-de-Bye' to Paul Shane

Flowers spelt out the tribute 'Bye-de-Bye' at the funeral of actor and comedian Paul Shane.

Hundreds of people stood in bright sunshine outside Rotherham Minster as the Hi-de-Hi! star's coffin was carried inside.

Other well known faces from the hit 80s sitcom joined the late star's family behind the pallbearers, including Su Pollard (pictured), Jeffrey Holland and Ruth Madoc.

Su said to the crowd: "Thanks for coming. He would have been so pleased."

Shane died at the age of 72 following a short illness a fortnight ago.

There was applause in Rotherham town centre after the cortege arrived with a police escort. Yellow and white flowers in the side window of the hearse spelt out 'Bye-de-Bye'.

Shane's Ted Bovis costume was hanging next to a photograph of the character at the front of church service.

Holland remembered his friend in a eulogy during the service. "Thanks for all those wonderful times but most of thank you for all the fun," he said.

And he led the congregation in a rendition of the "Hi-de-Hi, Ho-de-Ho" shout, saying: "Let's have it one more time for Shaney".

The service included music from the Barnburgh Male Voice Choir and a poem read by Amy Wragg, Shane's youngest granddaughter.

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.