Norman Bowler

Norman Clifford Bowler (born 1 August 1932) is a British actor.

Born in London, son of a watch repairer in Mill Lane, NW6, he became a member of the 1950s Soho set alongside John Minton, Francis Bacon and Daniel Farson. There he met Henrietta Moraes, who divorced her first husband, Michael Law, and married Bowler. This marriage ended in 1956. They had two children, Joshua and Caroline, although many years later it transpired that Joshua's father was actually Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner.^[1] Berjourhi Bowler, his second wife, and Norman were divorced in 1969, after 10 years of marriage, mother of Tamara.

Bowler played a variety of bit parts and single episode roles throughout the 1960s. He featured in one episode of The Avengers and starred alongside James Caan in the 1968 war film Submarine X-1, about World War II British midget submarines.

From 1966-1976, Bowler played Det. Sgt. and later Det. Chief Inspector Harry Hawkins for the entire run of the BBC TV police drama Softly, Softly (later Softly, Softly: Taskforce). He also appeared in Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

He played the part of Frank Tate in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from November 1989 - May 1997.

Bowler has been very active in charity work and adult education in the Bristol area (where the original Softly, Softly series was filmed in the 60s).

Bowler and his third wife, Dianne, spent several years at Auroville International Township in Tamil Nadu, India. There he engaged in development work with people in the surrounding Tamil villages and often entertained the village children. He also worked with and directed the amateur actors of the township.

In August 2012 Bowler released a recorded reading of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the ancient mariner to raise money for The Auroville Trust.^[2]

Bowler's wife Diane died in May 2012. He continued to alternate between India and the UK.

References

External links

• Norman Bowler at the Internet Movie Database