Uncle Albert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- "Uncle Albert" was also a term used to describe Coronation Street character Albert Tatlock.
- "Uncle Albert" is also a fictional character in the Car Wars game.
- For the Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney song, see: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.
| Albert Trotter | |
|---|---|
 Uncle Albert |
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| First appearance | Strained Relations |
| Last appearance | Comic Relief Special |
| Portrayed by | Buster Merryfield |
| Information | |
| Spouse(s) | Ada |
| Children | None |
| Relatives | Derek (great nephew/godson) Rodney (great nephew} Edward (brother) George (brother) |
Albert Gladstone Trotter (b. 19 November 1920 in Wapping, London - d. 2001 in London) was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was played by Buster Merryfield.
Albert joined the Royal Navy in 1937, aged 17, and two years later was called to action following the outbreak of the Second World War. He spent the rest of his life recounting tales from the war. He won seven medals - although this was largely because he had an extraordinarily unfortunate time serving on seven ships that were sunk over a period of 4 years. He was so unlucky with boats that he even 'knackers up gravy boats' by mixing up the coffee and the gravy at an important dinner with Raquel's parents. After the war, Albert joined the Merchant Navy and then took up the hobby of purposefully falling down pub cellars throughout the South East in order to gain compensation money, as he underwent training on May 1944 on how to fall without hurting himself.
Uncle Albert, as he was known by his two grand-nephews, Del Boy and Rodney, joined the cast in the early 1985 episode "Strained Relations" after the death of his older brother Edward Trotter - It was claimed in "Tea for Three" that the two brothers had fallen out over Ada, Albert's wife, some time ago and not spoken since. Shortly after the funeral, Albert was abandoned by Stan and Jean, who he was staying with. After some resignation, Del agreed to let his Uncle stay. Albert and Grandad also have another brother named George Trotter, who is rarely mentioned, but Albert apparently spun a coin with George to see who would be the godfather to Del Boy. Albert was described by Del as "England's greatest sailor since Nelson lost the armada".
Albert was famed for telling stories that often began with the words "During the war...", which often annoyed Del and Rodney but sometimes caught their interest. In Albert's final appearance in the series ("Time On Our Hands", the third and final chapter of the 1996 Christmas trilogy), a frustrated Del cuts Albert off at "During th..." threatening to pour a cup of tea over his head should he complete the sentence "During the war..." Albert cunningly says "During the 1939-1945 conflict with Germany..."
Albert had a female friend called Elsie Partridge (who was seen in one episode, "Sickness and Wealth"). His nephews often teased him about this as well as his ability to sink ships and, with his bald head and big white beard, his resemblance to Captain Birdseye.
Buster Merryfield died in 1999, and so, when a new series of Fools and Horses began in 2001, the character of Uncle Albert died also in "If They Could See Us Now". Del and Rodney, who had since become millionaires regretted not having taken him with them, but were consoled by the revelation that the "great sailor" never actually held a British passport! In the second episode of the early 2000s trilogy, "Strangers on the Shore", the two visit the French village where Albert had been stationed for a time during the war only to find an entire town inhabited by bald men with white beards who all bore more than a passing resemblance to their late uncle, they joked it should have been called "Trottersville". Then in the final episode of the early 2000s trilogy, "Sleepless in Peckham", it was revealed that Albert had invested his share of the Trotter fortune in a safer spot prior to his death, and it was enough to save his nephews from being evicted from Nelson Mandela House.
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