The star of stage and screen talked movingly of Holly Berry whose rescue led to him become Derby patron
07:21, 15 Nov 2025Updated 07:21, 15 Nov 2025
Sir Tony with branch manager Penny Lockwood and guinea pigs Cookie and Crumble(Image: RSPCA Derby)
It was a poignant moment as Blackadder and Time Team star Sir Tony Robinson opened a new unit for small animals at the RSPCA in Abbey Street, Derby.
He and his wife, Lady Louise, had named the unit in memory of the dog he adopted from the rehoming centre and which first brought him into regular contact with it, as its patron.
The Holly Berry Robinson Unit is a brand-new unit for small animals such as rats, mice, hamsters, budgies and will increase the centre’s overall capacity for small animals from eight to more than 30.
Other improvements include a renovated kennel block, now featuring a dedicated mother and puppy unit to give pregnant nursing dogs a quiet and safe space to raise their litters
And a refurbished cat quarantine room with better lighting, improved infection control and quieter recovery spaces for sick or injured cats.
The plaque on the new unit(Image: RSPCA Derby)
The name of the new small animal unit was revealed as Sir Tony cut the ribbon. He said: “When RSPCA Derby asked my wife, Lady Louise, and me if we would like to name the new small animal unit, we knew straight away that we wanted it to be in memory of a very special dog we adopted from Abbey Street.
“She brought us so much joy, and it means a great deal to know that her name will now be part of a place that helps so many other animals find the same second chance she had.
“Also, we once had nine guinea pigs – one of which lived to be eight years old.”
Sir Tony, 79, told Derbyshire Live that he first encountered RSPCA Derby when he was looking for a dog and saw West Highland terrier Holly Berry online just over five years ago and “just fell in love with her”. He said: “We were both totally besotted with her.
“She was in a right old state when she first went into the RSPCA Derby, like a drowned rat and they rescued her and she became a beautiful dog.
“The great thing about the people at the RSPCA at Derby, they look out for the adopters as well as the adoptees and develop a really good relationship.”
Unfortunately, Holly Berry tragically died following a robbery attack on Sir Tony’s car in Spain three years ago, which saw her insulin and syringes stolen.
Cutting the ribbon in the pouring rain(Image: Derby RSPCA)
Sir Tony said: “We dashed 120 miles with her to get more insulin but did not realise that when we were given a supply of insulin and syringes, the syringes were smaller and we ended up under-medicating her for three weeks and she died.” Her death left the couple “in agony”.
Since then, Sir Tony and his wife have fostered dogs, but do not rule out adopting again when he has more time in his busy schedule, following the publication of his first adult fiction book, appropriately the first in a trilogy about the life and times of Alfred the Great.
He said: “I am in Derby also to talk about my book at the Derby Book Festival and also it will be an opportunity to talk about the RSPCA and its work and show some videos.
“Then I am off to several more UK places such as Liverpool and Ely, and then after Christmas, the book tour takes me to New Zealand and Australia. So it isn’t the right time now to have another dog, but I am thinking about it seriously.”
Sir Tony said he was glad to be back in Derby and have the opportunity to raise the profile of the RSPCA Derby, which costs £12,000 a week to run and is reliant on donations with no automatic funding from the national RSPCA. This project was made possible through donations, grants and legacy gifts from supporters.
Sir Tony Robinson and his dog Holly Berry(Image: RSPCA Derby)
“It’s a real privilege to be part of this celebration. The team at RSPCA Derby work tirelessly to help animals who have nowhere else to go, and these new facilities will make a genuine difference to the lives of the small animals, dogs and cats who pass through this centre every year.”
Sit Tony is no stranger to Derbyshire having made some of the Time Team episodes in the county and his Walking Through History series saw him walking through the Derwent Valley to talk about the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. He also helps at the animal centre when he can.
He added: “I feel I know lots of bits of Derbyshire, which is a lovely area, but I am not exactly sure how they all fit together. A lot of people don’t know it was hive of radical activity in the 19th century, which I find really interesting.”
Branch manager Penny Lockwood said: “As an independent charity, we have to raise every penny to keep the centre running ourselves, so being able to deliver a project of this scale is a huge milestone for us.
“These upgrades have already transformed the way we care for animals, and we’re incredibly proud of what our supporters have helped us achieve.”
