Robin Askwith, actor, singer, and writer has agreed to join the British Polio Fellowship and become a new Patron.
Robin aged 73, was born in 1950 in Southport. As a young child, he went swimming in a local pool and was later found by his mother, totally submerged in the bath. An ambulance was called, and he was rushed straight to hospital, where doctors confirmed he had contracted the highly infectious viral disease, Poliomyelitis (polio).
He spent nine months in an isolation ward at Southport Infirmary and like many polio survivors, had to learn to walk again. Robin was lucky and made a good recovery.
After his family moved to Eastcote in London Robin started to enjoy more sport. He even represented his school in football, rugby, cricket, and swimming. His interest in acting began after he visited Pinewood Studios with his friend. Watching films being produced encouraged him to join a local amateur dramatics group and he was soon successful in securing modelling assignments for catalogues and commercials for baked beans and Fairy Liquid.
Age twelve, Robin went to Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood and played King Edward IV in their school production of Richard III. He was spotted by film director Lindsay Anderson and after a successful audition, Robin landed the part of Keating in Anderson's film if..... and so Robin's acting career began.
Robin went on to appear in numerous film, television, and stage productions. He is probably best known for his role as Timothy Lea in Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974). He also appeared in Bless This House (1972), Carry on Girls (1973), No Sex Please, We're British (1973) and much more. Recently he appeared in Channel 5's drama series The Madame Blanc Mysteries alongside Sue Holderness, Sally Lindsay, and Steve Edge as a series regular.
"We are delighted to welcome Robin Askwith to the British Polio Fellowship, both as a polio survivor and as a new Patron" commented Kripen Dhrona, Chief Executive Officer of the British Polio Fellowship.
"We're grateful for his support of our work in advising and empowering people in the UK who are living with the late effects of polio and post-polio syndrome".
Robin now lives on Gozo, a Mediterranean island near Malta, but regularly returns to the UK for tours, events, and filming.
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