The end of an era: death of Humphrey Lyttelton

girlyswot

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Old Etonian, former Guardsman, jazz trumpeter and panel game host, Humphrey Lyttelton died earlier today at the age of 86. I shall be listening to old episodes of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue this evening, in the sad knowledge that there will be no more of his perfect timing, dry wit and utter disdain to govern the chaotic silliness of the teams.

In a freak coincidence, some are also reporting the death of Samantha.

I don't think there is a radio forum, so I'm posting it here. Others may be mourning Humph for his music, but for me it's all about the words.

As Humph once said:

...and so, as the Ford Anglia of time fails the MOT test of eternity, and the dappled donkey of fate ambles towards the abbatoir of destiny, ladies & gentlemen, that's the end of the show and indeed this series. I'd really like to say how much I've enjoyed it, but I'm not allowed to before 9pm.
 
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pdr

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RIP

Thank you for that, girlyswot. I shall miss his humour.

But as for the best BBC radio comedy show, no, you must go and get scripts or recordings of those very early post war radio comedy shows which were the breeding ground of so much humour and satire and sparked off TW3, the Monty Python crew and John Cleese et al: The Goon Show, Round the Horne and Beyond our Ken.
 

girlyswot

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I've listened to lots of episodes of all of those on BBC7, pdr, and I especially like Round the Horne. But nothing ever has me so uncontrollably hysterical, so consistently and so effortlessly as ISIHAC.

I listened to the BBC tribute today. I loved the clip of Humph introducing a jazz piece about a transport cafe. He described his drink as, 'a brown liquid hovering in the agony of indecision between tea and coffee.' He was just a genius with words, as well as music.