12 Facts About Terry Collier

Terry Collier was conceived during an air raid on Newcastle upon Tyne, and born on 29 February 1944.

Terry Collier is stationed for most of his time in Cyprus, and serves in Malta, West Germany and Devizes, Wiltshire.

In November 1969, Terry Collier married a West German woman, Jutta Baumgarten.

Terry Collier often uses his previous army service to avoid working, because of his "dodgy spine", "Burmese malaria", and other mysterious ailments, including a never-explained leg injury.

Terry Collier was in both cases primarily the main catalyst behind these features of the series.

Terry Collier is usually the character to make apt and sometimes ironic observations on life, and these observations are largely the basis for the humour and pathos of the latter parts of the series.

Terry Collier is scornful of any habits he sees as being "southern", pretentious or middle-class, as well as treating modern fads, conservatism and religion with the same sarcastic scorn.

Bob then points out that Terry Collier "never liked Southerners", to which Terry Collier adds that he does not like many local people, in fact he "hates the people next door".

Bob eventually narrows it all down to the fact that "from the barren wastes of Manchuria to 127 Inkerman Terrace", Terry Collier "can't abide anyone".

The number of years Terry Collier actually serves in the army is disputed.

Bob mentions that Terry Collier originally signed up for three years, before signing on for a further two.

BBC2 did not begin broadcasting in the north-east until 1967, which implies that Terry Collier had not joined the Army by then.