At the age of 77, Ian Lavender passed away. He was cast in the BBC sitcom Dad’s Army back in 1969, and his most well-known role was that of Private Frank Pike.
February 2 was a Friday, the actor’s death. At the age of 22, he made his television debut in the inaugural series of the program and went on to become a star for the ten years that followed.
By adding a claret and blue scarf, he was able to incorporate his cherished Aston Villa into the role during that period.
Since Private Pike’s mother forced him to wear the scarf “to protect him from the croup,” the accessory came to symbolize the character.
In 2018, Lavender remarked of the well-known prop, saying, “It’s treated like a sort of relic now.”
He also mentioned the occasion when, during a solo performance, he displayed the scarf and received appreciation for it. I have to labor for an hour before I receive a round of applause, but as soon as I pull out the scarf, I receive one!”
Lavender also discussed the decision to include yellow stripes on the scarf in the 2014 film adaptation of the show.
In addition to blue and claret, Blake Harrison, who portrayed Pike in the movie, wore a yellow scarf.
At the time, Lavender told the Birmingham Mail, “It looked like a banana split.” “There was definitely a yellow in there, but I’m not sure what color it was because I’m color blind. It was definitely not a scarf from Aston Villa. I was really taken aback.
He did, however, add at the time that he had worn the scarf to an Aston Villa game and that he still owned it.”In April, I watched Villa lose to Fulham with a friend. I simply thought I would take the scarf to the ground and christen it. It was a very private visit. The actor claimed, “I wore it while sitting quietly, and no one really noticed.”
