A Memorial Bench in London for Barry Morse!

The Memorial Bench honoring actor Barry Morse has been installed
in St. James's Square, off Pall Mall, in London. It is located
quite close to the existing bench memorializing Barry's late wife,
Sydney Sturgess. Many thanks to the friends and fans of Barry Morse
who donated the funds necessary to make this tangible memorial to
Barry Morse a reality. The following four photographs of the bench
and the brass plaque are provided courtesy of Helen Weathers:


The brass plaque.


The Barry Morse Memorial Bench.


The benches honoring Sydney Sturgess (left) and Barry Morse (right).


View of the benches from across the park.



The brass plaque on the Memorial Bench reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
BARRY MORSE
ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND WRITER
"HE WAS A PRO"
1918 TO 2008
DONATED BY HIS ADMIRERS





THE MEMORIAL BENCH PROJECT


Following the death of actress Sydney Sturgess in 1999 (Barry's wife of more than 60 years), Barry and his family established a memorial bench for her in St. James's Square in London's West End. This was a favorite place for both Barry and Sydney to visit, located just around the corner from their flat on Pall Mall. Sydney's ashes were scattered in the park and Barry was always fond of visiting there and remembering the woman who, for so many years, he lovingly referred to as, "The Management." Through conversations with Barry and visits to the park, we came to know Barry's desire that a memorial bench should also be established in the garden for him, when the time came. This was the genesis of The Barry Morse Memorial Bench Project.


Barry Morse sitting on the Memorial Bench dedicated to his late wife, Sydney

We feel that Barry Morse's varied work on stage and screen around the world is now memorialized in a way that best honors the memory of a man who cared so deeply for all his fans. He loved the theatre and starred in hundreds of stage productions around the world - including several in the West End. He lived the last two decades of his life in London, England - the city of his birth. Therefore we feel his memorial bench is in the best locatation that could be chosen - in the heart of London's historic theatre district in the West End, at St. James's Square - just around the corner from his flat on Pall Mall.





Actor Barry Morse, 1918-2008, worked in all facets of the entertainment business for more than seven decades - in television, radio, and on stage and screen. He is most remembered by the public for his classic television series The Fugitive with David Janssen and the British science fiction series Space: 1999 with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. His theatrical memoir (Remember with Advantages, includes a multitude of stories from throughout his long life and varied career. He recounts his childhood and early working years in the UK, emigration to Canada and citizenship there, as well as his working experiences in the U.S., Australia, Mexico, and other countries.



Looking toward St. James's Square, when coming around the corner from Barry's flat


WHO COORDINATED THIS EFFORT?

Robert E. Wood and Anthony Wynn, co-authors of Barry Morse's autobiography Remember with Advantages, along with Barry's son Hayward Morse, headed the effort to secure this tangible tribute to Barry Morse. Robert is a noted Canadian artist and author of The Future Is Fantastic!, while Anthony's play Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship was performed in both London, England and in the United States by Barry Morse. In addition to collaborating on Barry's memoir Remember with Advantages, Robert and Anthony have also written the books Stories of the Theatre and the forthcoming Presenting Barry Morse and Merely Players. Hayward Morse is the noted British actor and voice artist.


BENCH DONATIONS

The donations of fans and friends of Barry Morse covered the purchase and installation of the Memorial Bench. Donations were received from: Nancy Tavano, Joyce Andrews, Stephen Gharibian, Arlette Hunnakko, Betsy Neahring, Terry S. Bowers, Stephan Gharibian, Michael & Ellen Lindow, Robert E. Wood, William Cleghorn, John Mariner, Helen Weathers, Anthony Wynn, Michael & Anne Seltzer, Rich Vaughn, Linda LaMienne, and several other donors who wish to remain anonymous.

Close-up image of the memorial bench inscription for Sydney Sturgess




UPDATE

Due to the age and poor condition of the two memorial benches, in 2020 the decision was made to combine the two benches into one single memorial honoring both Sydney Sturgess and Barry Morse. A new engraved plaque was commissioned and is in place on a bench in the park, in a more central location. It reads:

In Loving Memory of
Barry Herbert Morse, Actor, Director and Writer 1918-2008 "He Was a Pro"
and
Sydney Sturgess, Actor, His wife of 60 years 1915-1999 "A Lass Unparalleled"
Donated by His Admirers

We hope that all friends and fans will enjoy stopping by to visit the memorial bench when in London.



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