David Daker

David Daker
Daker in the ITV Playhouse episode "Dogfood Dan and the Carmarthen Cowboy" (1982)
Born	Colin David Daker (1935-09-29)29 September 1935 Bilston, Staffordshire, England
Died	30 April 2026(2026-04-30) (aged 90)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–2009
Spouse(s)	Stella Newton ​ (m. 1957)​ Hilary Voisey ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	3

Colin David Daker (29 September 1935 – 30 April 2026) was an English actor. He had a regular role as Harry Crawford in 93 episodes of the series Boon from 1986 to 1995.

Other credits include Coronation Street (1968–1985), Z Cars (1967–1977), Dixon of Dock Green (1969–1972), Villains (1972), Doctor Who (1973, 1979), Stardust (1974), Play for Today (1975–1984), Time Bandits (1981), Dick Turpin (1979–1982), Minder (1980–1985), Moonfleet (1984), Hallelujah! (1984), I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990), The Woman in Black (1989), and Crown Prosecutor (1995).

Early life and education

Colin David Daker, the youngest of five children, was born in Bilston, then in Staffordshire, on 29 September 1935 to Elijah Daker, a shoe factory worker and his wife Olive (née Cutler). He attended the local Etheridge Secondary Modern School (now called Moseley Park School).

Career

On leaving school, Daker initially trained as a draughtsman, but left after two years. Shortly afterwards, he joined the Oxford Playhouse Theatre School, before undertaking national service in the RAF. In 1957, he joined Oldham Rep as a stage manager, actor and director.

Between 1986 and 1995 Daker appeared in Boon as Harry Crawford, the entrepreneurial friend of the show's titular protagonist and fellow former firefighter Ken Boon (Michael Elphick); alongside his co-star, he appeared in all 93 episodes of the series.

Daker appeared in a number of television series, including All Creatures Great and Small, Minder, Heartbeat, When the Boat Comes In, Thriller, Juliet Bravo, Hazell, The Main Chance, Dangerfield, The Gentle Touch, Midsomer Murders, Sorry!, The Bill and Rising Damp. Daker made notable appearances as Tommy Mackay in Only Fools and Horses and Jarvis in Porridge. He appeared twice in Doctor Who, playing Irongron in The Time Warrior (1973–74) and Captain Rigg in Nightmare of Eden (1979).

In 2003, Daker returned to Doctor Who playing the part of Gilbrook in the Big Finish audio story Creatures of Beauty, replacing Clive Swift in the role after Swift pulled out due to an illness in his family. He played the recurring role of Captain Nathan Spiker in Dick Turpin, and appeared in the second series of Hallelujah! as Brother Benjamin. Daker appeared in two roles in Coronation Street: as Basil Griffin between 1968 and 1969, and Gordon Lewis, the unpopular relief manager of the Rovers Return on three stints between 1981 and 1985.

In film, Daker played young Kevin's father in Time Bandits (1981) and the desk sergeant in I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990).

Personal life and death

Daker married Stella Newton in 1957. They had one son and one daughter. Daker and Newton subsequently divorced.

Daker married Hilary Voisey in 1998. They had one daughter.

Daker died on 30 April 2026, aged 90.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	O Lucky Man!	Various
	The Optimists of Nine Elms	Bob Ellis
1974	The Black Windmill	MI5 Man
	Stardust	Ralph Woods
1976	Aces High	Bennett
	Voyage of the Dammed	First Officer
1979	That Summer!	Pub Landlord
1981	Time Bandits	Kevin's Father
1982	Britannia Hospital	Guest Workman
1990	I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle	Desk Sergeant

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1964	Detective	Thomas Yaxley	Episode: "The Loring Mystery"
1966	King of the River	Jack Flynn	Episode: "Keeping the Old Spirit Alive"
1967–1977	Z Cars	PC Culshaw Reg Sgt. Milne	84 episodes
1968–1985	Coronation Street	Basil Griffin Gordon Lewis	31 episodes
1969	ITV Sunday Night Theatre	Ken	Episode: "Travelling Where?"
1969–1972	Dixon of Dock Green	Headmaster Jock	2 episodes
1970	Parkin's Patch	Det. Sgt. Milburn	Episode: "The Spider's Web"
1971	UFO	SHADO Guard (uncredited)	Episode: "Flight Path"
	Trial	Prior	Episode: "On the Evidence You Will Hear"
1972	Villains	George	6 episodes
1973	Full House	Fedya in On the High Road	Episode: #1.22
	General Hospital	Unknown	Episode: #1.63
	Hadleigh	Ted Prior	Episode: "Gentleman and Players"
	Second City Firsts	Peter	Episode: "If a Man Answers"
1973–1974, 1979	Doctor Who	Irongron Rigg	Serials: "The Time Warrior" and "Nightmare of Eden"
1974	The Carnforth Practice	Tanker Driver	Episode: "The Aristocrat"
	Hunter's Walk	Barry Dawes	Episode: "Villain"
	Armchair Cinema	Tusser	Episode: "Regan"
	Marked Personal	Jack Williams	2 episodes
	Dial M for Murder	Tony	Episode: "Recording Angel"
	ITV Sunday Night Drama	Sussex	Episode: "The Ceremony of Innocence"
1974–1976	Centre Play	Jacky Maddison Max	2 episodes
1975	Churchill's People	John Bradwater	Episode: "Shouts and Murmurs"
	The Hanged Man	Piet Hollander	Episode: "The Bridge Maker"
	The Main Chance	Jacobson	Episode: "Survival"
	The Rough with the Smooth	Rudolph Culpepper	Episode: "The Broom Cupboard"
	Daft As a Brush	Jack Baker	Television film
	BBC Play of the Month	Cpl. Hill	Episode: "Chips with Everything"
	Thriller	Charlie Draper	Episode: "Kill Two Birds"
	Softly Softly: Task Force	Walters	Episode: "Dorothy's Birthday"
1975–1984	Play for Today	Various	8 episodes
1976	Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd	Mr. Holroyd	Television film
	Three Days in Szczecin	Workers' spokesman	Television film
1976–1981	When the Boat Comes In	Chater Sid Meek	2 episodes
1977	Eleanor Marx	Will Thorne	2 episodes
	Warship	PO Asdale	Episode: "Counter Charge"
	Porridge	Jarvis	Episode: "Final Stretch"
	Rising Damp	Mr. Brent	Episode: "That's My Boy"
	The Dick Emery Show	Unknown	Episode: #16.2
	Target	Mike Ansell	Episode: "Vandraggers"
	BBC2 Play of the Week	Max	Episode: "The Kitchen"
1978	Hazell	Dave Ryman	Episode: "Hazell and the Rubber-Heel Brigade"
	Holocaust	Rudolf Hoess	Episode: "Part 4: 1944–1945"
	Strangers	Roy Stephens	Episode: "Right and Wrong"
1979	All Creatures Great and Small	Mr. Barratt	Episode: "Puppy Love"
	Charlie Muffin	Bolton	Television film
	Two People	Len Fletcher	5 episodes
	Saint Joan	Poulengey	Television film
1979–1982	Dick Turpin	Captain Nathan Spiker	13 episodes
1980	The Enigma Files	Major Mike Clark	Episode: "The Full Flying Carpet Treatment"
1980–1985	Minder	Alex Brompton Sir Ronald Bates	2 episodes
1981	The Gentle Touch	Sam Taylor	Episode: "Doubt"
	BBC2 Playhouse	Alf	Episode: "The Grudge Fight"
1981–1985	Juliet Bravo	Charlie Pendle Chris Oldham Colin Bright	3 episodes
1982	Legacy of Murder	Mechanic	Episode: "Who Do You Voodoo?"
	ITV Playhouse	'Dogfood' Dan Milton	Episode: "Dogfood Dan and the Camarthen Cowboy"
	Only Fools and Horses	Tommy Mackay	Episode: "No Greater Love"
1983	BBC Television Shakespeare	Various	Episodes: Henry VI and Richard III
	To the Lighthouse	Mr. Trevorrow	Television film
	Give us a Break	Ron Palmer	7 episodes
1984	Crown Court	Harry Barber	Serial: "There Was an Old Woman"
	Moonfleet	Elzevir Block	6 episodes
	Hallelujah!	Brother Benjamin Bob Scratchitt	8 episodes
1985	Summer Season	Leo Lyon	Episode: "Urban Jungle"
1986	Sorry!	Byron Hadlee	Episode: "The Primal Scene, So to Speak"
	Love and Marriage	Maurice Bannister	Episode: "A Walk Under Ladders"
1986–1995	Boon	Harry Crawford	93 episodes
1987	Up Line	Leon Targett	4 episodes
	Screen Two	Mr. Plant	Episode: "The Children of Dynmouth"
1988	Blind Justice	Det. Insp. Gee	Episode: "A Death in the Family"
1989	The Woman in Black	Josiah Freston	Television film
1995	Crown Prosecutor	Ben Campbell	10 episodes
	Resort to Murder	Sam Penny	4 episodes
	Pigeon Summer	Uncle Charley	TV mini-series
1995–2000	The Bill	Laurie Coleman Mick Davies	2 episodes
1996	The Vet	Gerry Leadbetter	Episode: "Out of the Past"
	Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's...	Farmer	Episode: "Twelve Angry Men"
	Casualty	Jim Porteous	Episode: "Waterwings"
1997	Dangerfield	Ken Markham	Episode: "Perfect Witness"
1998	Midsomer Murders	Harry Vellacott	Episode: "Faithful unto Death"
1999	The Ruth Rendell Mysteries	Stanley Clayton	Episode: "The Fallen Curtain"
2000	Dalziel and Pascoe	Jack Turton	Episode: "A Sweeter Lazarus"
	Heartbeat	Matty Lovell	Episode: "War Stories"
2001	Where the Heart Is	Peter Lampard	Episode: "Pound of Flesh"
	Hearts and Bones	Mr. Rose	2 episodes
	Big Bad World	Ernest	3 episodes
2002–2007	Doctors	Eric Barbar Jim Young	2 episodes
2004	The Last Detective	Jervis Beauchamp	Episode: "Benefit to Mankind"
	Powers	Mike Knowles	Episode: "The Future Is Yours"
2004–2009	Holby City	Bill Gibbs Mr Frisby	2 episodes

External links

• David Daker at IMDb
• David Daker at Theatricalia