Congrats to Mike Kenwood for rounding up Robert and eight other pals to go and see the Comedy God that is Rik Mayall in The New Statesman play at Wimbledon.  A must-see, instant classic!  Rik Rocks!!

The day started with a full-volume blast of Sid James singing The Ooter Song, for it was thirty years ago today that Robert’s ultimate comic hero died.  Please raise a glass or five to the main man of British comedy…Robert certainly will!  And a few more will be raised to mark the 79th birthday of Jack Douglas.

A trip to West Ealing for a few drinks in the company of the CarryonLine gang following their location tour.  Robert joined series favourites Valerie Leon, Larry Dann and Patrick Durkin in what was a wonderfully relaxed and friendly gathering.  Congrats to Ray and Brett for doing a great job.

A couple of days in Brighton organised to enjoy a meeting with Vic Chapman from the Max Miller Appreciation Society…but any excuse for Robert to get down there!  He’ll see you in the bar again soon Vic!

Robert journeyed to Denham to see Sir Cliff Richard, aided and abetted by Sylvia Syms, Nicholas Parsons and Jess Conrad, unveil a Heritage Foundation blue plaque on the former home of legendary actor, Sir John Mills.  A star-studded lunch in the West End followed; such notables as Valerie Leon, Sue Upton, John Inman, Burt Kwouk, Jean Fergusson, Nicholas Courtney and Nicholas Ball were there.

Another book launch, this time for Robert Fairclough’s second volume of Prisoner scripts, at the Bath House pub…are you detecting a theme here!

Robert attended the book launch for Alan Parker and Mick O’Shea’s Monty Python DVD and CD guide, And Now For Something Completely Digital, at the Spice of Life.  Carol Cleveland and Neil Innes were also in attendance.  Well done lads, it’s a great book…and thanks for the mention!

Robert began recovering from the hectic charity weekend that was the Telly Nation event at the Swindon Hilton.  He interviewed comic favourites Burt Kwouk, Brian Murphy and Linda Regan.  The Sunday cabaret showcased Ian Watt’s superb one-man show, John Laurie: Fraser and I.  Huge congratulations to H, Paul, Les, Anne-Marie and the rest of the gang for a great event.  And hope to do it all again in 2008!

Sad to hear that John Junkin has died at the age of 75.  Very much an unsung comic hero, he penned literally hundreds of comedy scripts for the best of post-war British comics.  Often working with Tim Brooke-Taylor, notably in Hello, Cheeky and the Marty Feldman shows, John was one of those great British faces that assured a good time whether it be on stage, on radio, on television or in films.  His movie career ranged from Norman Rossington’s side-kick in A Hard Day’s Night when he was memorably taught how to shave by George Harrison, to the glorious sexual excess of Confessions From a Holiday Camp, making life a bleeding misery for Robin Askwith and Anthony Booth.  Rest in Peace John.

Another year and another series of Last of the Summer Wine.  The first series kicked off this evening with a rather jolly episode involving the ‘lads’ chasing a message in a bottle.  Good to fully welcome June Whitfield to the squad and nice to see relative ‘new boys’ Brian Murphy and Burt Kwouk injecting some new blood in to the fun.