WHAT do the hit Seventies TV show The Waltons, Winnie the Pooh and East Lancashire have in common?

The answer is actor Jon Walmsley, known to millions as Jason Walton and part of one of the most popular TV families of all time, who was actually born in Blackburn.

The Waltons, the story of a close-knit family living in Depression-hit America ran for more than 250 episodes.

Re-runs of the show are still being aired today.

On Sunday ITV's After They Were Famous will take a behind the scenes look at the lives of the cast.

Until now, Jon's Lancashire links have remained largely unknown.

His mother Marion and his father ran a grocery business in the Queen's Park area of Blackburn and Jon was born in Queen's Park Road on February 6, 1956.

He was later christened at what was then the Presbyterian Church in Preston New Road.

The family moved to Los Angeles when Jon was around three years old.

He got his first break in showbusiness aged 10, when a TV producer was looking for a child with an English accent for a part in a show.

Jon, who still retained traces of an East Lancashire accent, won the part.

Two years later he was signed up by the giant Disney Corporation to provide the voice for Christopher Robin in the cartoon feature film Winnie the Pooh and the Windy Day. He played Christopher Robin again in a second feature-length cartoon six years later.

However it is for his role in The Waltons that Jon is still best known.

As Jason Walton, he was the musical member of the family, a talent he shared in real life.

Jon said: "When I was eight, The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and it was just the biggest thing that ever happened to me.

"When I saw them that was it. I had to play guitar immediately, and it was playing guitar and music that led to my acting career and The Waltons."

It was on The Waltons that Jon met the love of his life. In the TV show his character married Toni Hazleton. In real life, Jon and the actress Lisa Harrison, who played Toni, were also married.

The service was conducted by Ralph Waite, the actor who was the father in the Walton's and a minister in real life.

"He took it very seriously and did a really terrific ceremony," said Jon.

When the Waltons ended, Jon decided to make a career out of his music.

An accomplished guitarist, he worked with singer-songwriter Richard Marx, touring with him as part of his band and appearing on the best selling album Repeat Offender, which sold more than five million copies.

Now 46, Jon still lives in Los Angeles with Lisa and daughter Brighton and is currently working on film and TV scores.

He is also involved with the musical charity Special Angels which helps disaffected youngsters in LA.