AN AUTHOR and musician from Winchester has published a book in memory of the actor Robert Hardy.

Julien Chilcott-Monk, from Teg Down, decided to write a memoir for the actor, best known for his roles as Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small, Winston Churchill in The Woman He Loved and Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter, after he died in 2017 while living in Avington, near Alresford.

After years of writing, Covid restrictions and interviewing others who knew Hardy, Mr Chilcott-Monk is relieved to have published Call Me Tim, A Portrait of Robert Hardy ahead of its launch party at The Swan Hotel in Alresford.

Julien, who lives in Sermon Road, met Robert more than 20 years ago at an event in Beaulieu where Julien’s choir Vox Humana (human voice in Latin) was performing and the pair became friends. The actor was living near Winchester in Avington for the last few years of his life before he died aged 91.

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The book brings light to Hardy’s acting career and lesser-known historical contributions, with the celebrity contributing to the resurrection of the Mary Rose and making academic discoveries on the longbow.

Hampshire Chronicle:

As well as Julien’s own more than 50 contributions from fellow actors such as Judi Dench and James Murray, history professors and family and friends have been included.

Mr Chilcott-Monk, 77, said: “First and foremost he had a great sense of humour and often preferred messing about in conversation. But when you got him on the topic of Shakespeare, the Mary Rose or the longbow he was totally immersed.

“He was a good all-round character with a balance of erudition and wit. He was such a man full of life that he was a character worth sharing with people who didn’t even know him.

“Tim would laugh at the very idea of me writing this book. ‘What a lot of nonsense’ he’d say. He died on August 3 which is my birthday and he’d find that funny too.”

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Rear Admiral John Lippiett, who was involved with the Mary Rose, actor and charity founder James Murray and Mr Hardy’s former assistant Neil Nisbet are set to give speeches at the book’s launch party on Saturday, February 25.

The launch will see people involved with the making of the book gather at The Swan in Alresford.

Call Me Tim, A Portrait of Robert Hardy is different to any other books Julien has written, with most of his previous work being focused on Catholicism.

The book, which features a cover portrait from a fan, is available from Amazon and bookstores such as Waterstones.