Bob Grant

Bob Grant was trained at Rada after spending some time as a Lieutenant with the Royal Artillery. He plied his trade to begin with in Repertory and appeared on stage for many years all around the UK. His work in rep continued up to the mid-90s. He will be best remembered for his role of Jack Harper, the cheeky bus conductor with his traditional cigarette, cheeky laugh and his passion for the ladies and, of course, winding up old Blakey, the Inspector in On the Buses (1969). On the Buses was a huge success for Bob and his co-star, Reg Varney, running from 1969 to 1973 with 76 episodes and 3 spin-off films. It sold in 38 countries and is a great tribute to his comedy acting talents. In 1971 his popularity proved a little too much as his wedding to Kim was attended by hundreds of fans and it meant that everyone had to walk to the wedding! Famous other roles included Sparrows Can't Sing (1963) and Mrs. Wilson's Diary (1969). He toured Australia, starring in 'No Sex please we're British'. He also appeared on stage in musicals and pantomime. Sadly, he suffered from a depressive illness for a number of years and was found dead in his car in Gloucestershire on November 8th 2003. He was 71 years old.