Ronnie Hazlehurst (13^th March 1928 to 1^st November 2007)

This is probably the closest blue plaque to my house - only a five minute walk away. If you live in Britain you’ll have heard one of this tunes. He wrote short catchy theme tunes for popular television series.

Ronnie Hazlehurst was born in this house in Dukinfield and went to St. Johns Church of England Primary School nearby. He later attended Hyde Grammar School but left at 14 to work in the Accounts Department of a local cotton mill. Besides his wage he was also earning money playing the cornet in local big bands.

After the Second World War he played for many dance bands and, 1950’s, he became a freelance musician. At this point he worked for Granada TV but when work was thin he worked on a record stall.

In 1961 Ronnie he went to work for the BBC producing, over the next few years, music for the television series The Likely Lads, Are You Being Served?, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, The Fall and The Rise of Reginald Perrin, To the Manor Born, Three Up, Two Down and Only Fools and Horses. Somehow he could write music that fitted the tone of the television series.

He’s probably best known for the tune for Last of the Summer Wine (which was initially rejected.) He composed the incidental music for over 50 episodes of the sitcom and it was so popular a CD of music from the series was produced to mark the show's 25th anniversary.

He married twice and had two sons. Ronnie didn’t die in Dukinfield. Over the years he moved down to London then, in 1997, to Guernsey. He worked up until his heart by-pass operation in October 2006. Almost a year later on 27th September 2007 he suffered a stroke and never regained consciousness. He died in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, St Martin, Guernsey. A local lad done well.