Michael Robbins

Born in London Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin Hertfordshire where he and his family lived at the time Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Rollon Bloomin Death Primarily a comedy actor he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive Anna Karen in the popular sitcom On the Buses 196973 Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varneys comedy capers at the bus depot Robbins also appeared in the series film spinoffs On the Buses Mutiny on the Buses and Holiday on the Buses His other comedy credits include nonrecurring roles in Man About the House Oh Brother The Good Life One Foot in the Grave The New Statesman George and Mildred HideHi and You Rang MLord He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase As well as these comic roles he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s including Minder The Sweeney ZCars Return of the Saint Murder Most English The Avengers Dixon of Dock Green The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation Robbinss film credits included The Whisperers Up The Junction The Looking Glass War Zeppelin and Blake Edwards films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and VictorVictoria He also had an extensive career as a radio actor including a role in the soap opera Waggoners Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats being elected Rat of the Year in 1978 and the Catholic Stage Guild and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987 In one of his last television appearances in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregorys Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins In the mid1970s he also directed a film How Are You