The Double Deckers

This programme may mean nothing to you. But if you were around in the early seventies, and aged anything from 6 to about 14 at the time, it could well have left its mark. The Double Deckers was a vibrant children's show, screened in 1971 in the UK. The energy factor of its content was huge, demonstrated perfectly in the above clip. And the thing I have carried around all these years was the very last piece of each show - ''See you next weeeeeeeeeeeek !! '' It was a catchphrase that I have not forgotten ever since. DD was, simply, a great show.


Alas, it has not become a legend of children's TV culture, in part due to the fact that it consisted of just 17 episodes. It was however a much repeated show, especially during school holidays. Originally broadcast on Fridays, in the Crackerjack spot around 5 o'clock, I actually remember it more from Saturday mornings, which were presumably repeats. The Double Deckers stories were highly inventive, adventurous, funny, happy and cheerful. They contained lots of slapstick. But above all it was the camaraderie of it's characters that made it a winner. Set in a junk yard, the programme follows the exploits of seven children,whose den is a London double deck bus. There was plenty of resource from within the yard for them to use and the fast moving plots involved robots, goblins, ghosts and martians, as well as go-karts and a hovercraft on one occasion. The children were all shapes and sizes with varying talents and it was very easy to be envious of them. We all wanted to be a double decker and join them in their scrapes and tangles.

The characters were as follows : Scooper ( leader of the gang and played by Peter Firth), Brains ( Michael Audreson), Billie ( Gillian Bailey), Sticks (Bruce Clark), Doughnut ( Douglas Simmonds), Tiger ( the youngest child who also had a cuddly toy Tiger and was played by Debbie Russ ), and Spring ( Brinsley Forde). The only regular adult was Albert, a street cleaner ( Melvyn Hayes). I will not attempt to go into detail as to the part they each played. If you do not remember the show it will mean little to you. Watch the clip though and it could trigger happy memories. I must say there is a fantastic Double Deckers web site at http://www.thedoubledeckers.com/ which is an absolute credit to the people behind it.

One other great part of the show was it's music and dance pieces, which were crucial to the overall sunshine feeling of the programme. And many of the seventeen episodes featured some great comedy players of the day : Julian Orchard, Norman Vaughan, Bob Todd, Clive Dunn, Pat Coombs, Hugh Paddick, Frank Thornton, Sam Kydd and Jack Haig. Pretty impressive I should say. One episode also featured a very young Jane Seymour.

It is always interesting with child stars to see where they finished up. Peter Firth went on to be a film and stage actor (Pearl Harbor, Shadowlands, The Hunt For Red October, Letter To Brezhnev). Michael Audreson was in Young Winston playing the great Briton himself aged 13. Brinsley Forde is of course Brinsley Forde, lead singer of Aswad. And the lovely Gillian Bailey was in Follyfoot and the dramatic masterpiece Poldark (where she played the devoted and hard working Jinny Carter). Melvyn Hayes was the marvellous Bombardier 'Gloria' Beaumont in It Aint Half Hot Mum.

The Double Deckers was a fantastic little programme. It enjoyed success both here and in America. Although essentially British in spirit and filmed in and around Borehamwood, it was in fact a co production between the BBC and ABC (in America it had the slightly different title of Here Come The Double Deckers) and so is as much loved over the Atlantic as it is here. The gang also featured in a comic strip in Whizzer and Chips in 1971-1972 and an album of music from the series was also released. Blogging about The Double Deckers and researching for it has been a joy.

I can end in only one way : '' See you next weeeeeeeeeeeek''.

Citizen Smith

Originally Broadcast : 12 April 1977 to 4 July 1980


Channel : BBC

Written By : John Sullivan

Produced By : Ray Butt, Dennis Main-Wilson, Peter Whitmore

Starring : Robert Lindsay (Wolfie), Mike Grady (Ken Mills), Cheryl Hall (Shirley Johnson), Hilda Braid (Florence Johnson), Peter Vaughan (Charlie Johnson), Stephen Greif (Harry Fenning)

Episodes : 29

Harry Carpenter

Harry Carpenter passed away earlier this week. He was known as 'the voice of boxing', having covered the sport for the BBC for over 30 years. However, it should not be forgotten that he was also heavily involved in Wimbledon, golf and the university boat race, as well as presenting Grandstand and Sportsnight.

I will remember Harry Carpenter for two reasons. He was around in the days when the BBC seriously covered British sport. And he was around in the days when boxing was watched by a large TV audience. We tuned in especially. For a sport that was, essentially, alien to the daily living habits of the nation. Not to listen or see Harry I hasten to add - his delivery style relied on his abilty to be ordinary, in the backgound, and yet authorititive at the same time. So when he did get excited - you knew the action was worth watching. Harry Carpenter was a great broadcaster - and a damn nice man.

Quiz Ball

I wonder how many people remember Quiz Ball. It was screened on BBC TV between 1966 and 1972, in the early evening, around 6.30 to 7.00 if my memory is correct. The original presenter (referee) was David Vine. Stuart Hall took over later. I thought Alan Weeks was also involved, though research does not bear this out. I have vivid recollections of watching this programme, and getting upset when the 'wrong team' won !! The format was pretty simple. Football clubs were represented by three players/officials plus a guest supporter. Each week was a new match with the winners going forward to the next round. There were four ways to score a goal : 1) answer four easy questions correctly 2) answer three medium questions 3) two difficult , or 4) one really hard one. The opposition could stop you by answering your question. If they were correct they gained possession of the ball. But if they were wrong............goal to the team whose question it was. No tackle could be made on a route 1 (hard) question. The electronic scoreboard (shown in picture behind David Vine) lit up to show which route was being taken, and every goal was greeted with immense jubilation.

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For the record, the Finals were as follows : 1966-1967 Arsenal 7 Dunfermline Athletic 3 1967-1968 Nottingham Forest 1 West Bromwich Albion 2 1969-1970 Celtic 3 Hearts 1 1970 (Champions Series) Celtic 7 Everton 5 1970-1971 Derby County 4 Crystal Palace 2 1971-1972 Dunfermline Athletic 3 Leicester City 1

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Guest supporters included Jimmy Young (Arsenal 1966 & 1967), Ted Moult (Nottingham Forest 1966 & 1967 when Ted scored 8 goals in 3 games including all five in the First Round victory over Celtic - little wonder he went on to get that lucrative double glazing ad contract!!), Tommy Trinder (Fulham 1967), John Arlott (Southampton 1966), Percy Thrower (West Bromwich Albion 1966), Brian Close (Leeds 1966), Sam Kydd (Chelsea 1966), Leonard Sachs (Sheff Weds in 1966 then, suspiciously, Leeds in 1970 - who did he really support?), Gordon Jackson (Dunfermline Ath 1966), Pete Murray (Fulham 1966), Brian Moore (Tottenham 1967), Sam Leitch (Leicester City 1967), Magnus Magnusson (Kilmarnock 1967), Harry Carpenter (Fulham 1967), Mike Smith (Coventry City 1967), Kenneth Cope (Everton 1967 - ghosting in at the far post no doubt), Alfie Bass (Crystal Palace 1967), James Bolam (Sunderland 1969), John Laurie (doomed to failure with Dundee in 1969 as they lost 3-1 to Arsenal), Lance Percival (Chelsea 1970), Ed Stewart (Everton 1970), Kenny Lynch (Manchester City 1970), Peter Cook (Tottenham 1970), Richard Wattis (Crystal Palace 1970), Nicholas Parsons (Leicester City 1971), Hugh Lloyd (Chelsea 1971), Roy Kinnear (Colchester 1971), Jimmy Logan (Dunfermline Ath 1971) and Jon Pertwee (Dunfermline Ath in the 1971 Final).

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Alex Ferguson played for Falkirk in 1970, scoring in the 1-0 win over Huddersfield. He found the net again in the semi final but lost 2-1 to Everton (Brian Labone 2)!! In 1969 Arsenal were represented by Bertie Mee, Bob Wilson and Terry Neill, Ian Ure appeared in earlier seasons. Tottenham in 1971 played Alan Mullery, Martin Chivers and Joe Kinnear. What fantastic memories.

My Brother And I

I think it fair to say that as a teenager in the early to mid seventies, I had absolutely no appreciation of just how good Dad's Army was. I loved it of course, along with millions of others. And that was maybe a little unusual for a young lad because in truth DA was perhaps more pertinent to my parents generation, who had lived and fought through WW2. But I would not have appreciated it. The marvellous characterisation would have been lost on me, and the fantastic qualities of the actors. And it certainly took until adulthood for me to understand and acknowledge the talents of Arthur Lowe. The finer points of his character, Captain Mainwaring, have taken many years to evolve in my analytical mind. And if you want to see both Mainwaring and Lowe at their very best, catch the 40 minute Boxing Day special from 1975, entitled My Brother And I.

The episode is definitely not the funniest in the series, not absurd nor slapstick. But it is famous for the fact that Arthur Lowe played two roles : Captain George Mainwaring as usual, and also his brother Barry. It is a masterpiece of character acting. Was it Lowe's finest moment on the small screen ? Not for me to say. But if ever he put in a better 40 minutes, I should love to see it. Barry was a total opposite to Mainwaring, and so good was the acting, there were times when you could quite easily forget that it was Lowe playing him. And remember it was made over thirty years ago. Only one short scene contained Lowe in both parts - presumably film technology at the time did not allow anything like the wizardry we take for granted these days. For the rest of the episode he is on camera either as George or as Barry. And as I have said, the two were chalk and cheese.

My Brother And I was marvellously written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Mainwaring is his usual pompous pretentious self (though we see a caring side to him before the end of the episode). At the start of the show he has an issue with drinking by the platoon members. Pike leaves a written piece of work in his latest Hotspur comic. He says that the Home Guard would only discover German parachutists if they landed in a Public House - and that his section had recently made sure there was no enemy present in eleven pubs in two hours !! Mainwaring is disgusted and disturbed and seeks assurances from his men that there will be no drinking. Two things then happen : firstly he announces that a sherry party is to be held in the village hall for local dignitaries and he is to host it (with Jones, Pike and Godfrey helping and Wilson providing musical entertainment on the piano), and secondly he tells Wilson that he came from a family that knew (as far as alcohol was concerned) when to stop. This second statement will soon rebound on Captain Mainwaring ! We also see his snobbish and condescending sides - he tells Wilson that his father had been a Master Tailor - then he praises his men as 'indispensable', simply because they were prepared to help at the party. He is particularly impressed that Godfrey's sister is to provide cucumber sandwiches.

These opening scenes set up the story beautifully. The 'joke' is that a few truths about George Mainwaring are about to be revealed. And it is Frazer who discovers them !! He enters a railway carriage on his way back to Walmington On Sea from Eastbourne (where he has been measuring up a customer for a coffin). In the carriage is a rotund red nosed man, clearly the worse for wear and drinking Scotch. He speaks with a Northern accent and is a traveller in jokes and novelties. He is, due to the drink, somewhat loutish and vulgar. And he is , as Frazer soon discovers, Barry Mainwaring, brother of Captain George ! And the Scottish Private is delighted to learn that old Mr Mainwaring was not a Master Tailor - but a lowly draper, that they were a family of drinkers, and that Barry is going after his brother 'Po-Face' in order to retrieve a watch that George had 'stolen' on his fathers death bed. So, we have this delicious situation where suddenly the platoon know a few skeletons from Captain Mainwaring's past. They revel in this knowledge..............especially Frazer.

George and Barry have not seen each other for fifteen years. The Captain reluctantly agrees to meet in his bedroom at The Red Lion. It is here that the viewers are treated to the scene where Arthur Lowe is on camera as both characters. It lasts only a few minutes or so and is brilliantly acted. Uncouth womaniser Barry, lying on his bed, drunk and demanding. Authoritative lofty George standing over him and refusing to hand over the watch. Until Barry threatens to attend the sherry party that is. Captain Mainwaring's image would be destroyed. So, on the understanding that Barry is out of town on the next train, the watch is passed over.

The final part of the episode, the party, is more like the Dad's Army we know and provides most of the laughs. Jonesey 'announces' the guests as they arrive, though as you would expect, not very well. The best bit of the show is the arrival of the Vicar and Air Raid Warden Hodges. Godfrey holds out a plate and offers them one of his sister Dolly's cucumber sandwiches. Hodges takes one and scoffs it, then another, then another, then the Vicar takes a couple, then Hodges finishes them off !! And all before the dignitaries arrive. And indeed, before Barry, now very drunk makes an entrance. Despite winning the watch he came to Walmington for, he can't resist making trouble for his brother. And the writers can't resist putting him immediately with Hodges, perhaps the one man on earth who hates Mainwaring more than Barry does !! And don't you just know they will swap their nicknames for him..............Hodges loves the 'Po-Face' name just as much as Barry enjoys the 'Napoleon' reference.

Eventually Captain Mainwaring arrives with his guests. It is an important night for him. But disaster looms with the presence of inebriated Barry. Pike, surprisingly, comes to the rescue. He locks Barry in the office out of sight and then gives him a bottle of sherry to keep him quiet. When Mainwaring finds out he tells him he has been stupid (as usual he has little toleration of his Private though in truth Pike has for once shown a little initiative).Worried that there will be an awful show, Mainwaring tells Jones, Frazer and Pike to get Barry out of the Village Hall. They try to push his fat frame through the window and fail. Eventually he departs hidden inside a cupboard - coffin style.

The final twist at the end of the episode comes when Wilson reveals that he has saved the watch from Barry's clutches. In a very matter of fact way, Mainwaring tells him to catch the others up and let Barry have the watch before they put him on the train. A rare sign of humility from the Captain.

I always have thought that accurately playing the part of a drunk is the hardest thing an actor will ever be asked to do. The performance of Arthur Lowe as a drunk in My Brother And I is without equal.

Dick Emery - The Driving Test Centre

Comedy sketch shows are pretty much the rage these days. But the pioneer as far as British TV was concerned was almost certainly Dick Emery. His show ran throughout the 60's and 70's in prime time slots, largely on BBC and at the very end ITV. Emery was a brilliant character actor and produced some highly memorable and funny figures, such as Gaylord (the Bovver Boy), Clarence (Honky Tonk), Hettie, Mandy (Ooh you are awful) and the toothy vicar. These hugely ridiculous people appeared weekly, with others, creating many famous catchphrases for the British public to adopt.The show was snappy, full of innuendo, and a right good laugh. The format of this kind of show has been used many times since, notably by Kenny Everett, Harry Enfield and Catherine Tate. But the master remains Dick Emery, shown here in this clip at his very best.

Title Music # 3 - Terry and June

Originally Broadcast : 24th October 1979 to 31 August 1987

Channel : BBC

Written By : John Kane

Produced By : John B Hobbs, Robin Nash, Peter Whitmore

Starring : Terry Scott, June Whitfield, Reginald Marsh, Rosemary Frankau

Episodes : 65

Title Music # 2 - Top Cat

Originally Broadcast : 27 Sept 1961 to 18 Apr 1962

Channel : ABC

Produced By : Hanna-Barbera

Starring : Arnold Strang (Top Cat), Paul Frees, Maurice Gosfield, Leo DeLyon, Marvin Kaplan, John Stephenson, Allen Jenkins, Jean Vander Pyl.

Episodes : 30

Pinwright's Progress

The world's first ever sit-com is reputed to have been a BBC show called Pinwright's Progress. The black and white thirty minute production was screened in November 1946 and lasted for 10 episodes through to May 1947, being shown every other week. The star was James Hayter, pictured twice above, on the left as a younger man and on the right as Mr Percival Tebbs in Are You Being Served? in 1978, his final TV role. There were some similarities between Pinwright's Progress and Are You Being Served? Both were set in shops - Macgillygally's Stores and Grace Brothers. And Pinwright's Progress had a character called Mrs Sigsbee, played by Doris Palmer, who was an early version by all accounts, of Mrs Slocombe.

James Hayter played J Pinwright, the owner of Macgillygally's, and storylines revolved around his feud with a hated rival, and the antics of his staff. He went on to be a familiar TV face for a further three decades, notably as Mr Pickwick in Pickwick Papers, The Forsyte Saga, and The Onedin Line. His sound however, was perhaps even more famous than his face in the late 70's and 80's. He was the original voice of Mr Kipling - that maker of 'exceedingly good cakes'.

No tapes exist of Pinwright's Progress as it was not recorded. I was not around in 1946 (honest I wasn't), but I thought it nice to document the point at which sitcom first started.

Cocked That Right Up Didn't We

TV comedy is not solely restricted to sit-com or stand up performers. X Factor is wonderful viewing and never fails to capture the interest of the nation and at times can be very funny. Like the occasion when Welsh singing duo Total Eclipse, real names Fiona Rae Griffiths and Pam Edwards, turned up for the Cardiff audition. Their problems started before they even sang. When asked to which group they aspired, Pam answered 'That's a toughie innit ?' , Fiona adding 'Innit', Pam 'Eh?' and finally Fiona with 'Weren't expecting that question.' Eventually they settled for Abba. They then sang Summer Of 69 but ended it abruptly with Pam declaring 'Oh see! Cocked that right up didn't we' ? Fiona just laughed with Pam adding 'Oh never mind'. The clip shows the reaction of the judges, and notably Simon Cowell who suggested that Fiona reminded him of Vicky Pollard !! Cruel. But these girls took it in great spirit and actually found it in their hearts to laugh at themselves, an attribute so few of us can boast. The very end of the clip is just magic...........note the look of absolute dismay on Fiona's face.

The picture at the top shows the girls after a make-over on the following Monday's edition of ITV's This Morning. They were totally transformed and gave a creditable performance of Dobie Gray's Drift Away.

Thanks girls............a great piece of TV comedy.

The Thin Blue Line

In my head, I always have The Thin Blue Line down as a modern sit-com. So I have to be mindful that it is in fact nearly twelve years since it was first shown in the UK. And in my opinion it is a gem of a comedy and regrettably one that has been overlooked by many people of my age. I have discussed this often with friends who share my memories of earlier sit-com series but have little or no knowledge of The Thin Blue Line. Which really is a shame, because there are few comedies, before or since, that produced as many funny moments in a thirty minute time slot as this one did.

It was written and produced by Ben Elton, and through the casting of Rowan Atkinson, re-formed the hugely successful Blackadder partnership. The setting was a police station in the fictional town of Gasforth, which was one heck of a bad place. In the fourteen episodes, we saw terrorism, violent robberies, teenage delinquency, entrapment, racist skinheads, road protesters and drugs raids. These crimes were investigated by CID, headed by Detective Inspector Derek Grim (David Haig), whilst the uniformed officers, led by Inspector Raymond Fowler (Rowan Atkinson) were left to merely uphold Her Majesties peace. It is this scenario which provides the main storyline in most episodes, through marvellous characterisation. Fowler is an old fashioned policeman, well turned out, a man of routine who plays life by the rule book of decency and patriotism. He is a staunch supporter of the Queen. And, when reminiscing about Meccano and Biggles, ultimately boring. Grim on the other hand is a scruffy plain clothes cop, obviously proud of his elevation to CID and always out to make a name for himself. He is a chancer and provides many a funny moment with his ranting and terrible use of the English language ( hoity toity, lardey dardey........I can't even start to put this into words, and will have to post a clip soon if I can). This battle of styles carries on through each show with the loyal Fowler often winning the day over the conceited Grim.

The supporting characters are also excellent. The station, despite the problems in the local community, was not a busy place, and many scenes took place with the officers behind their desks, working. Many days started with Inspector Fowler wheeling his bike through the front door, looking a right twerp in his white cycling helmet and fluorescent jacket. Behind the front desk was Sergeant Patricia Dawkins (Serena Evans), his girlfriend of ten years. Raymond's total lack of interest in sex was a subject of continual frustration for the simmering and broody Patricia. In one episode he admitted how he was looking forward to getting home to his bed - for ' a chapter of John Buchan and a chocolate Hob Nob'. Sgt Dawkins was well used to the disappointment and often showed her fiery side, always directed at Inspector Fowler. The three uniformed officers were Constable Frank Gladstone (Rudolph Walker of Love Thy Neighbour fame), Constable Maggie Habib (Mina Anwar) and Constable Kevin Goody (James Dreyfus). Frank was a slow moving veteran who often dealt with the most mundane matters. But the relationship of Maggie and Kevin was a constant storyline. She was bright and feisty. He was dim and grotesquely camp. And the two provided some great comedy moments with PC Goody often dangerously aroused when in the company of the WPC. Maggie was in no way interested in Kevin's feeble attempts to score (on one occasion she tells him he is the last turkey in the shop).Gormless Goody was also often on the wrong side of Inspector Fowler. Their relationship was akin to that of Captain Mainwaring and Private Pike in Dad's Army. Ben Elton was a huge fan of the 70's sit-com and many commentators have drawn comparisons with the characterisations of that show and The Thin Blue Line.

Unlike the uniformed officers, CID were not desk bound. They were high energy. Happy to follow their erratic leader Grim, they enjoyed their perceived superiority over the others. There were two Detective Constables, in the first series Robert Kray (Kevin Allen and missing from the above photograph) who was always eating or on the phone ordering, a take-away meal, and Gary Boyle (Mark Addy) in the second. Kray was lazy and liked to laugh at his own jokes whilst Boyle fancied himself as a bit of a hard nut. Both were largely useless at their jobs and generally irritating. They were however vital components in Grim's mis-guided operations and added much to the detective versus plod skirmishes. They dealt with the real crime but not very well !

Many of the laughter moments in The Thin Blue Line were earthy, at times quite explicit, and always high on innuendo. But it was very sharp, funny, and quirky. Critics were not altogether complimentary of the show, pointing at inconsistencies in the characters. Personally I can just take it for what it is - a relatively modern sit-com with an old fashioned format that makes me laugh a lot. It's content is essentially 90's but it's style is probably more 70's. Considering the series was made up of only a short number of episodes , I think the writer and cast did a great job in establishing such a funny group of characters, all of whom made for some memorable TV moments. Like the episode where Goody buys Inspector Fowler a puncture repair kit and WPC Habib sexy underwear for Christmas............then manages to get the parcels mixed up. And the occasion where a film crew arrives at Gasforth Police Station to make a fly on the wall documentary...........and the unfortunate Raymond accidentally brushes his teeth with black polish just before his big moment.

Perhaps the biggest shame in sit-com lies in the fact that the best has often lasted for far too short a time, and I am sure The Thin Blue Line had another series or two in it. I watch the episodes over and over again and wish there were more. It was just too good to manage only 14 episodes.

Frank Spencer - Roller Skates

For most of the 70's, Frank Spencer was a comedy icon. Though the sit-com Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em produced only 22 episodes over three seasons (with, strangely, a five year gap from 1973 to 1978 between the second and third series), the character was perhaps the most mimicked of any in the history of TV comedy. He was a main ingredient in the acts of impersonators such as Mike Yarwood, Bobby Davro and Lenny Henry. Most people could have a reasonable go at an 'Ooh Betty' ; at work, in the pub or the playground.

The above clip comes from the end of the 1973 episode, Fathers' Clinic. Frank (Michael Crawford) and Betty (Michele Dotrice), are looking after two children whose mother is in hospital. A trip to a roller skating rink results in typical mayhem. The scene represents one of the most lasting memories of the show and would arguably be in any list of all time great comedy moments. Believe me, when first viewed it was pretty scary stuff , as were many of Crawford's other stunts in the series. Enjoy it.

Ray Of Sunshine # 4 - Wesley Pegden

The fourth in the series Ray Of Sunshine, dedicated to the comedy characters who contributed to the great British sit-com. The characters are listed in no particular order, just as I think of them ...............................but they all brightened our lives.


Ray Of Sunshine # 4 WESLEY PEGDEN


Last Of The Summer Wine is Britain's longest running sit-com, noted for its gentle observational humour. Centred as it is, around old people, the characters are very consistent in their ways and, generally speaking, a lovable lot. Over the years, there have been many regulars appearing in each episode, albeit quick appearances on occasions, as an aside to the main storyline. Cleggy has been an ever present. Compo was also in each episode until his death a few years ago. The third gang member has changed three times, from the original Blamire, through to Foggy, then Seymour Utterthwaite and the current Truelove. The antics of these main characters form the main storylines for the series. Despite their old age, they retain a youthful zest for life and there are few limits as to the things they will try. And when the adventure requires a motor or some other mechanical invention, for many years there was only one man for the job..............Wesley !

Wesley first appeared in LOTSW in the eighth series in 1982 in an episode entitled Car and Garter. He provided Compo with an old banger that he needed to race in order to impress Nora Batty. His domain was a green metal shed which was his workshop and in many of his appearances he didn't venture far from it. When he did it was because the others needed transport and Wesley provided it with his Land Rover. He nearly always wore the same clothes, orangey brown overalls, the front of which were largely covered with oil and grease, as were his face and hands. Though mild mannered, Wesley would often resent the disturbance of a visit from Compo and company, so obsessed was he by cars, engines and all things mechanical. He was always making something , repairing something, or blowing something up. He could always put his hand on the required spare part that the gang were looking for and to my knowledge he never charged them for anything. Instead he would often stop what he was doing and soon be totally involved in their latest ridiculous scheme.

Wesley Pegden appeared in 57 episodes in total up to 2002, many of these short cameo pieces. There were however a number of editions in which he played a more major role. The first of these was in 1984 in The Loxley Lozenge in which he discovered an old racing car. His other inventions throughout the years included a giant kite (in Getting Barry Higher In The World), a self - propelled salad strainer (a strange motorised vehicle in the episode of the same name), an all terrain vehicle ( in The Thing In Wesleys Shed), a go - cart (in In Search of Childlike Joy And The Farthest Reaches Of The Lotus Position) and a trolley (in The Only Diesel Saxophone In Captivity).

Wesley was married to the snobbish, houseproud, Edie Pegden, sister of Seymour Uttherthwaite (who fancied himself also as an inventor though he had little of Wesley's mechanical nous). She was of course a central figure in the other gang in the series..........the ladies ! Known for her posh voice that she put on when wanting to impress company, she clearly did not want Wesley in the house. You could imagine the man staying outside in his shed until bedtime, then getting back out there again well before breakfast. Edie's normal form of communication with him consisted of loudly shouting out his name. The running joke involving the Pegdens was played out when Wesley did manage to get indoors. Edie would be waiting with newspaper in hand, and would skillfully peel pages away and lay a trail of them onto the floor and work surfaces just before Wesley's greasy hands and feet touched them. On one occasion she slipped a paper up against the wall as Wesley leaned towards it ! After he leaves the house, Edie is there cleaning and polishing behind him. The only consolation Edie had for having a husband like Wesley was the fact he fixed her up with a lovely convertible car. She was a shocking driver and often accused Wesley of moving things on the car, especially the gear stick !!

Occasionally Wesley is seen clean, when he took Edie shopping and on the day of his daughter Glenda's wedding to Barry. He scrubbed up pretty well. He was also seen in his suit in Edie And The Automobile. His task was to teach his wife to drive but he was soon reduced to a trance, so bad was she behind the wheel of a car. Son in law Barry has a go but ends up a nervous wreck, then Wally Batty tries, but decides it would be safer going home to Nora. Seymour takes charge of the situation to the delight and relief of Wesley who shows rear respect towards his brother in law before spoiling things by telling Cleggy '.......and I always had him down as a pillock'' ! The character of Wesley disappeared from the series in 2002 without explanation though later he was referred to in past tense. The true reason was the death in real life of the actor who played the part. The job of inventing and providing transport has more recently been taken on by a new character, Entwistle, a fortune teller from the land of Eastern wisdom (Hull !). Wesley Pegden did not have many funny lines in Last Of The Summer Wine. What he contributed to the series was a whole more important. He provided the means for others to be funny. He offended nobody ever. He lived in his own little world and was very happy to do so. Maybe he had what many a man longs for !

The character of Wesley Pegden was created by Roy Clarke and played by Gordon Wharmby ( born 1933 in Salford, Lancs ), who also made one off appearances in All Creatures Great And Small, Heartbeat, and Hetty Wainthrop Investigates. Edie Pegden was played by Dame Thora Hird. Gordon Wharmby died in 2002 aged 68.

Ray Of Sunshine # 5 will be Bernard Woolley

Positive Thinking

When I first posted on 4th January this year, I stated that I hoped to blog again (even if I weren't really sure what a blog was) and had every intention of keeping it going. Secretly I set myself a target of 100 posts in the first year. Well , this is post number 50 and it is still only early May, so I am well on course to hit my target. Inspiration comes easy thanks to there being so many funny and entertaining people to pay tribute to. I have not even scratched the surface yet.

I thought it fitting to mark my half century with something of a return to where it all began - Morecambe and Wise. I think I have remained remarkably restrained in not mentioning them more often than I have. Bring Me Sunshine was probably their most famous show ending song but there were others and this clip is of Eric and Ernie singing Positive Thinking. It's a clever little ditty and like BMS ( blogged on 16th February if you are interested) it is in keeping with the Morecambe and Wise tradition of feel-good sentiments. We also get to see the famous hands behind the neck skip-dance as the pair exit the stage.

This will not be my last reference to M&W in this blog I can promise. But a good way to end the first fifty posts I think. Here's to the next fifty............

Family Fortunes

The following is a list of daft answers given by contestants on the long running and entertaining ITV game show, Family Fortunes :

1. We asked 100 people to name famous brothers -
Answer : Bonnie & Clyde
2. We asked 100 people to name a weapon used in the game Cluedo
Answer : Dice
3. We asked 100 people to name a bird with a long neck
Answer : Naomi Campbell
4. We asked 100 people to name a yellow fruit
Answer : An orange
5. We asked 100 people to name a place you would keep a pen
Answer : A zoo
6. We asked 100 people to name a game that uses a black ball
Answer : Darts
7. We asked 100 people to name a Thunderbirds character
Answer : Doctor Spock
8. We asked 100 people to name a dangerous race
Answer : The Arabs
9. We asked 100 people to name a TV soap
Answer : Dove
10. We asked 100 people to name something you open, other than a door
Answer : Your bowels

Pat Coombs

This wonderful lady was one of the busiest and best loved British comedy actresses for over forty years before her death in 2002. Born a cockney, she was famous for her portrayal of weak, suppressed women and her grasp of funny voices. She started in radio before moving on into TV and film. Though best remembered for her comic roles she also played some more serious parts and was also a regular in game shows.

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Pat Coombs was born Patricia Doreen Coombs in Camberwell, South London in 1926. At the age of six she decided she wanted to be an entertainer, after falling in love with a gypsy violinist on a family holiday in Worthing. She began work as a kindergarten teacher before turning her hand to acting. Her first roles were in radio, where she appeared with comic legends such as Arthur Askey, Bob Monkhouse, Ted Ray, and Charlie Chester. With the advent of television Pat (or Pattie as she is often affectionately referred to) was to feature in so many of our finest comedy productions. Perhaps the best way to pay tribute to her is simply to list them and some of the great stars she appeared with :

Hancock's Half Hour, Beggar My Neighbour, Til Death Us Do Part and its sequel In Sickness And In Health,Up Pompeii, Don't Drink The Water, Dad's Army, Lollipop Loves Mr Mole, You're Only Young Twice,Carry On Doctor, Carry On Again Doctor, On The Buses (film), Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, Ken Dodd, Roy Hudd, Roy Castle, Eric Sykes, June Whitfield, Reg Varney, Spike Milligan and Dick Emery. Towards the end of her career she was a regular in Noel's House Party, Celebrity Squares, and Blankety Blank.

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Pat Coombs was a constant face on our TV screens. She often played the dim, soppy, downtrodden female with a nervy giggle and twitch. Ironically, one of her more confident characters was to provide a lasting comic memory. She played a bus driver in the On The Buses film. Stan and Jack trap her in her cab and Pat is seen climbing out via the window, revealing a pair of large pink knickers.

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Pat's last major TV role was in 1989 in EastEnders where she was introduced as the character Marge Green in an attempt to add some humour to the soap. Her final sitcom role was in 1992 in an episode of Birds Of A Feather. Pat was tall and thin, which contributed greatly to her ability to play the puny, vulnerable woman. In 1995, she was diagnosed with the brittle bone disease, osteoporosis, which shrunk her by some six inches in size. She bore her illness with fantastic good humour and turned her time to fund raising for The National Osteoporosis Society. It is said she once raised £35,000 in just five days. She never married though apparently came close on a couple of occasions. She was 75 when she passed away in a West London nursing home, to which she had moved to in order to be close to her great friend (and another great comedy actress) Peggy Mount.

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I don't know, but I think Pat 'Pattie' Coombs was probably one of the most respected and well loved actresses of her time, not only by her audiences but by her fellow professionals as well.

Pot Noodles

Have I Got News For You has been running since 1990. Ian Hislop and Paul Merton have been the team captains for much of that time but following the demise of Angus Deayton in 2002 (following revelations in his private life), the programme chairman has changed from show to show. In this clip the guest presenter is Jack Dee, whose dry sense of humour dovetails brilliantly with Merson, who is, in my opinion, a modern great with comic talent to compare with the very best. The more I watch the piece the funnier I find it. Simple word play that starts silly and gets more so as each panellist tries to get the final say.The other two guests are John O'Farrell and Liza Tarbuck.

Ray Of Sunshine # 3 - Major Gowen

The third in the series Ray Of Sunshine,dedicated to the comedy characters who contributed to the great British sitcom. The characters are listed in no particular order, just as I think of them.........but they all brightened our lives.

Ray Of Sunshine # 3 MAJOR GOWEN

There were four main characters in that great sitcom Fawlty Towers. They were of course Basil and his wife Sybil, Polly, and Spanish waiter Manuel. Story lines generally revolved around the hotel guests and each episode brought a new clientele.However there were three people who were permanent residents; two old ladies, Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs, and the wonderfully eccentric Major Gowen. Only twelve episodes of this hugely acclaimed comedy were ever made and the Major appeared in them all. His contributions were relatively small in terms of screen time, but in the course of the two series he became established as a much loved character. Sometimes he was involved in the main story and sometimes simply as a foil to Mr Fawlty, who you suspect rather liked him.

The Major was essentially an old English gentleman, always immaculately attired and well spoken. He had an air of pomposity about him.He was ending his days on the English Riviera, Torquay, not in luxury, but certainly without a care in the world. His favourite area of the Hotel was the bar where he was often seen with his pre-dinner drink. Basil referred to him on one occasion,though not to his face, as a 'drunken old sod '. But presumably he was a good customer for the Fawlties. The amazing thing of course was the Major's total oblivion to all that was happening around him. Bad service, awful food, rude management, and even a dead body on one occasion and it all passed the Major by. He was a befuddled, bemused, absent minded character at the best of times. Add to this the suspicion that the Major was also often just a little bit tipsy and there was little wonder that he was never in tune with the lunacy of the Fawlty Towers Hotel.

The Major was an old soldier and had an enormous dis-like of foreigners and Germans in particular. He was an old colonial who loved his daily newspaper. 'Have the papers arrived yet Fawlty?' he would ask at breakfast time (they never had arrived) followed by 'Why do we bother Fawlty?' after he had read them. He was often critical of working Britain and the strikes that disrupted the economy. His other loves were cricket (he would give Basil snippets of information though he never seemed much bothered) and women (the Major sometimes reminisced about old lovers). These two topics led to one of the Major's most famous lines. He was telling Fawlty about a woman he once loved - ' I took her to see India. At the Oval' !

The other guests coming and going from Fawlty Towers were a mixed bunch. But few matched the eccentricity of the Major. He was doddering and blank featured. Basil tried to get him to understand but normally gave up. Viewers loved the interplay between the pair and generally shared Basil's frustration. The three most remembered incidents involving the Major were from the episodes 'Communication Problems' ( a farcical show in which he is entrusted to look after Basil's winnings from a bet on the horses and gets totally confused), 'The Germans' ( where he thinks a moose is conversing with him though actually it is Manuel out of shot behind the reception), and 'Basil The Rat' (with the Major, shot gun under arm, returning to his military background though this time in pursuit of vermin ! ).

The private world of Major Gowen was a great one. It is safe to assume that his days were long and trouble free, that he was comfortably off, and had no worries beyond the latest score in the Test match. Any nastiness from Basil fell entirely on stony ground because the Major was was in a permanent state of confusion. He was only ever sharp minded when the conversation involved the past. In 'Waldorf Salad', an irate American guest can't get his food and declares arrogantly ' What I'm suggesting is that this is the crummiest, shoddiest, worst run hotel in the whole of Western Europe'. To which the Major angrily replied: No! No I won't have that. There's a place in Eastbourne..........'

Major Gowen was a dear old gentleman. I would have bought him a drink any day.

The character of Major Gowen was created by John Cleese and Connie Booth. He was played by Ballard Berkeley who made his stage debut in 1928 and was a popular actor in the West End and New York. His other notable TV role was in Fresh Fields and he was also in the radio classic, The Archers. Ballard Berkeley died in 1988 aged 84.

Ray Of Sunshine #4 will be Wesley Pegden

Nice Bins

Men Behaving Badly was a rude, crude British sitcom from the 1990's notable for the quite awful social graces of the two male characters, Gary and Tony. It ran from 1992 to 1998 and consisted of 42 episodes in 6 series and had some wonderful comic moments. Here, Tony has to wear glasses for the first time as he is short-sighted. The lads are joined by Gary's girlfriend Dorothy (recovering from an operation) and Deborah from the flat upstairs. This clip is not at all rude but is funny. Poor Tony is well and truly on the receiving end as Gary decides to enjoy every moment..................

John Inman - RIP

Born : Preston 28 June 1935

Died : London 8 March 2007

Are You Being Served ? , Grace and Favour, Take A Letter Mr Jones.