Timothy West's son shares heartbreaking update about Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales

As an actor and director himself, following in his famous parents' footsteps, Samuel West appeared in multiple episodes of Great Canal Journeys, starring Timothy West and Fawlty Towers favourite Prunella Scales.

Now, in an admission that is guaranteed to leave family fans with lumps in their throats, he has revealed that when he takes to the waterways nowadays, passing boaters regularly ask him how his mum is faring. At 92 years old, Prunella has been living with vascular dementia for the past decade, but she's determined to continue her work in TV as much as possible.

She recently went on a cruise, and despite being unsure where she was, Samuel delighted in the knowledge that she enjoyed "getting there". In a heartwrenching tribute to his dad, with whom he worked on screen no less than 13 times, Samuel elaborated on the relationship between him and his mum.

"If there’s one thing that sums [my dad] up, I think it’s Great Canal Journeys, which made such a difference to the latter part of his and my mum’s life," he told the Radio Times. "When I’m on the canals, as the inheritor of his face and his eyes that disappear when we smile, I’m always asked by passing boaters to send their best to him and Pru."

Then he reflected: "He maintained that GCJ was about industrial architecture. We knew it was really a love story, tested by my mum’s dementia and seasoned with all the attendant scrapes and narrows and minor irritations of 61 years’ marriage, but held together by great cables of respect, companionship and love."

Timothy, who appeared in Coronation Street, EastEnders and many more, died age 90 earlier this month and clearly had a huge number of supportive fans.

Sam shared that within a day of posting the sad announcement about his dad's death, he received a million views and more than 5,000 replies - a clear testament to how many lives the actor touched.

He reminisced over the "huge outpouring of love and respect" for his dad's "extraordinary" life and career - one which brought him to the attention of millions who'd never met him, but grieved his loss just the same.

Some tributes have mentioned acting highlights, such as Edward The Seventh, The Monocled Mutineer and one of the four King Lears Timothy was known for over the years.

However, he's also received condolences from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, the Talyllyn Railway, the Labour Party and even the Friends of Clevedon Pier.

A small comfort to Sam is that his dad survived long enough to meet his four beloved great-grandchildren.

He is also always heartened by his mother's continuing enthusiasm for life - and according to Cambridgeshire Live, he recently told one audience: "My mother went on a cruise the other day - I'm not sure if she knew where she was but she enjoyed getting there.

"She said, 'I don't always know where I'm going but I enjoy getting there,' and I thought if that is her philosophy, that might have to be mine as well."

Check out the full interview in this week's Radio Times magazine.