Researching Graham Armitage

Armitage was born in Blackpool in Lancashire, the son of Albert Edward Armitage (1908–1959) and Isabel W. née Bailes (1909–). In 1947 Harvey left the UK with his family, flying to South Africa and eventually settling in Cape Town where he attended Sea Point Boy’s High School and then the Christian Brothers College. In early 1951 Harvey and his family moved to Salisbury, in Southern Rhodesia where he attended Prince Edward School. During 1952 Harvey wrote the entrance exam for late entry to Dartmouth Naval College. Whilst his Maths and Geography results were outstanding he had not studied the same syllabus for English Literature and History so failed to obtain entrance. In 1955 he married Carole Shirley England (1934–2017) at the Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, Rhodesia. The couple had three children. He graduated from RADA in 1952 following which he made his début in the BBC television play Without The Prince, which was transmitted live. For the next twenty years Armitage regularly appeared on screen, mainly on television. He had roles in such shows as The Saint, The Avengers and made several appearances on The Dick Emery Show. In 1973 Armitage went to South Africa to appear in the Noël Coward revue Cowardy Custard and decided to stay there, becoming a familiar face on local television and stage.

In 1974 Olivia Manning adapated two of Arnold Bennett's works (The Card and The Regent) into an eight part BBC Radio play: Denry - The Adventures Of A Card. Armitage portrayed the eponymous Denry with Ursula O'Leary as the beautiful Countess of Chell. From 1979 to 1985 he portrayed Sherlock Holmes for Springbok Radio. His last appearance was in 1999 as a vicar in the South African family film Alec to the Rescue.

Graham Armitage died in Johannesburg in South Africa in 1999. His ashes were buried in the grounds of Manchester Crematorium in the UK.