John Alderton - Actor

Whilst at Kingston High School, John Alderton was one of a generation of pupils who were greatly encouraged by Mr E.J.C. Large to follow their dreams in theatre and drama. Mr Large was Head of English and an inspirational teacher, who also produced the school’s plays. Similarly encouraged by Mr Large were Tom Courtenay and Malcolm Storry, whose biographies are also outlined in this Alumni section of our website.

John was born on 27 November 1940 in Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, and after the family moved to Hull, he attended Kingston in the 1950s, then graduating at the Royal College of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1961. He became famous largely through television roles such as Dr Moone in the early ITV soap opera Emergency  Ward 10 (1962 to 1963), teacher Mr Hedges in the sitcom Please Sir (1968 to 1972), Thomas the chauffeur in the drama series Upstairs Downstairs (1971 to 1975), and as the same character in the spin off sitcom Thomas and Sarah, playing opposite his second wife Pauline Collins, who he married in 1969.