John Hamblin

Hamblin was born on 18 March 1935 in Ash, Surrey, England, and grew up in Suffolk. When Hamblin's mother moved in with the local baker, his father moved the rest of the family to Norfolk. He lost contact with his mother at that point. Hamblin's father had flown with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, and Hamblin himself joined the Air Force and did his national service in Cyprus in the late 1950s before returning to England. Hamblin initially trained at art school for six months but decided on a career in acting instead, and he studied drama to become an actor. ==Career==

Theatre Hamblin started his acting career in England in repertory theatre with the Theatre Royal, Windsor. He also worked in old time music hall. Hamblin also toured in the stage play Crown Matrimonial as King Edward VIII. Television In 1967, Hamblin made an appearance in the cult British TV series The Prisoner in the episode "A Change of Mind". After a hiatus in the 1990s, he returned to TV series in guest roles in All Saints and Love My Way in the early 2000s. Hamblin was the second-most-prolific presenter of Play School, appearing in 357 episodes from 1970 to 1999, On the show, Hamblin would sing, read stories, make crafts, play with the toys and educate children about such things as telling the time and the days of the week. Hamblin is especially remembered for his presenting partnership with longtime hosts Benita Collings and Noni Hazlehurst. Hamblin returned briefly for a special guest appearance in 2016, as part of Play Schools 50th anniversary special. Many bloopers of Hamblin's time on Play School have since resurfaced, most of which feature him forgetting lines or making sexually explicit jokes. ==Personal life==

Hamblin came to Australia in the 1960s as a "Ten Pound Pom" with his second wife, Wendy. He suffered a heart attack Hamblin died at a hospital in Tasmania on 21 September 2022, aged 87. ==Filmography==