Bill Owen

William John Owen Rowbotham MBE (14th March, 1914 - 12th July, 1999) was a British actor who achieved major national popularity thanks to his 26-year stint playing scruffy Compo Simmonite in the BBC situation comedy Last Of The Summer Wine. He played Charlie Dickinson on Coronation Street in 1971, and his other credits include numerous Carry On films, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? and Brideshead Revisited.

Bill passed away aged 85 from pancreatic cancer in July 1999, whilst still a major cast member of Last Of The Summer Wine.