The end of a perfect Carry On Cruising adventure through Medieval Europe with Cruise and Maritime Voyages, and quite honestly one of the happiest companies I’ve ever been involved with. Many thanks to Chris Gidney of That’s Entertainment for his boundless energy and planning, and to my fellow guests, lecturer Felix Rayner and the Carry On team aboard: Anita Harris, Valerie Leon, Jacki Piper and Richard O’Callaghan. I have known these dear friends and admired actors for many years, of course, but to spend quality time with them aboard the fun ship the Magellen was a truly unforgettable experience. We laughed and laughed, from Tilbury Docks to Newport, with an unforgettable excursion to Rouen, and a shared love of the series and each other. We dined together, enjoyed the cabaret together, and supported each others shows, including Valerie’s forever entertaining Forever Carrying On presentation, my own behind-the-scenes wallow in facts and anecdotes and rare clips – including the ‘Film Night’ visit to the set of ‘Carry On Up the Jungle’ and the ‘Film ’92’ set report on ‘Carry On Columbus’; not to mention the sparkling Anita Harris who peppered her memoirs with a selection of her hit songs. She had the audience in the palm of her hands and, it was with delight, that myself and Jacki’s adorable agent Barry Langford, ventured ashore at La Havre to secure her some birthday treats – the big day falling the day after we were to disembark. In a hilarious Apprentice-style frenzy we located flowers, booze, chocolates, perfume and a card to be presented on stage after the closing Carry On panel. The look of genuine surprise and delight on Anita’s face, and her whispered: “You naughty boy!”, will give me a glow of happiness for many a year. It was my first cruise but, hopefully, not my last. What joyous times and joyous company. Ahoy!

I spent a glorious birthday working alongside my friends at Talking Pictures TV, interviewing Jim Moir a.k.a. Vic Reeves on the films and stars on the channel that he most adores. It was an absolute delight of nostalgia and irreverence, and footage from the day will be coming to your screens soon. It also came on the day that the Radio Times finally agreed to add the channel to their listings, and just ahead of a deal with Virgin Media being announced. Talking Pictures TV has rapidly became the best place for classic entertainment on British television.

Then it was a hoot-foot over to the Donmar Warehouse to meet up with my dear chum Alex Romeo for Sir Lenny Henry in Bertolt Brecht’s ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’. A splendid time was had by all.

Where have you been? But seriously, folks. On this glorious Bank Holiday Monday I’m finally getting a moment or two to once again post a little something. Obviously my Twitter feed gives you the occasional bite-sized notification of what I’m up to and the rare, lengthy Facebook commentary may fill in the gaps, but basically I’ve been wonderfully busy of late, hence the long radio silence here. Still, I hope you managed to catch one or more of my recent television appearances. I continue to pop up regularly on that bastion of vintage entertainment Talking Pictures TV, either chatting with Liz Fraser or Vera Day, or waxing lyrical on everyone from Terry-Thomas to Old Mother Riley. And there’s much more to come on that fabulous channel. I also contributed to the Channel 5 documentaries ‘The Bruce Forsyth Story’ and ‘When Chat Shows Go Horribly Wrong’, as well as helping Barney Harwood with a bare-bones history of comedy on ‘Blue Peter’. Yes, ‘Blue Peter’ And, yes, I did get a badge! Another recent highlight was interviewing Mark Gatiss and Michael Palin at the Grand Opera House, York, for the York Literature festival. Two fine gentlemen, and a joyous, fun-filled day indeed. Later this month I’ll be a guest lecturer on board the Magellan for a special Carry On Cruising excursion to the Medieval Cities of Europe. I’ll be joining Carry On stars Anita Harris, Valerie Leon, Richard O’Callaghan, Jacki Piper and special guest Liz Fraser for lots of laughs and memories. We are embarking from London Tilbury on Sunday, 28th. May, and some cabins are still availability, so check out www.cruiseandmaritime.com for the best offers. All aboard!

It’s no secret that, for me, the work of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (pictured with the ‘Steptoe and Son’ book we wrote together for the B.B.C.) remains the benchmark for excellence in comedy writing. Actually, scrap that, it remains the benchmark for excellence in writing for television. Period. Alan has sadly died at the ripe old age of 87 and despite having pretty much retired forty years ago, he happily endorsed revivals and repackaging of his past successes, and regaled eager students of comedy with glorious nuggets of entertainment gossip. I was privileged to be one of those fascinated followers for well over twenty years. Whether for professional reasons, or simply over a few glasses of particularly good wine, tales of Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd, Les Dawson, Leonard Rossiter and, of course, Tony Hancock, would enthrall me for hours and hours. This callow, nervous, comedy obsessive had a signed photograph of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson above his desk from around the age of twelve. Their work – first brought to me by my Dad, via his reel-to-reel tapes of radio ‘Hancock’s Half Hour’ classics – hit me like Cupid’s arrow. This was real. This was timeless. And, above all, it was very, very funny. To this day, my iPad is stuffed with radio Hancock. It is a near-constant comfort blanket of reassuring and life-affirming comedy truth. I first met my heroes at the National Film Theatre. Back then, I was a gushing, fresh-faced devotee, having just witnessed some rare ‘Steptoe and Son’ for the very first time. You know, those fuzzy black and white videotaped copies of the early colour shows from 1970. The ones that Ray Galton had recorded off-air, just before the B.B.C. had junked the tapes. From that first meeting, Ray and Alan were interesting and interested, happy to chat about the heroes their comedy brilliance had shaped, fashioned, and enhanced. The last time I saw them was at one of the recordings for ‘The Missing Hancocks’ last year. They were still sharp, witty, and appreciative of the wave of love they got from that packed, smiling, and just plain awe-struck studio audience. Over the years, they helped with various books and projects, a friendship that reached fever pitch with our collaboration on the official history of ‘Steptoe and Son’. To say it’s a highlight of my career is to put it mildly. I couldn’t wait to get to work. That the place of work was Ray’s house, complete with his vault of scripts and bulging library of books, made the assignment all the sweeter. Always humble, always disarmingly cynical, and always grateful to be celebrated, Alan and Ray were quite simply the guv’nors. They always will be.

And so it’s farewell to that gentle man and fabulous actor Gorden Kaye,  who gave an exemplary farce performance in ‘Allo ‘Allo as Rene Artois on television, stage, and even hit single, from the pilot show in 1982 until the final revival in 2007. A beautifully nuanced, sympathetic and, above all, relentlessly hilarious turn, it is quite simply one of the great sitcom creations. Having worked with Alan Ayckbourn, Gorden (born plain Gordon Kaye, he was mis~credited in the programme of a successful stage run and he kept it for luck ~ it worked!) appeared opposite Ronnie Barker in the film of Porridge, and Leonard Rossiter in the short subject The Waterloo Bridge Handicap. He also played Elsie Tanner’s nephew, Bernard Butler, in Coronation Street, but it was a productive association with producer/writer David Croft that led to stardom. Roles in Are You Being Served?, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, and the notorious Mollie Sugden space romp Come Back Mrs. Noah, resulted in the plum role of Rene. It was life~changing. So much so, that Gorden’s 1989 memoirs were entitled Rene & Me. It’s a recommended insight into a private, precise and perfectly amusing man.

I was touched to be able to paid a personal tribute to Gorden on BBC Berkshire on the day his death at the age of 75 was announced, and BBC1 are screening ‘Allo, ‘Allo series one classic ‘Pigeon Post’ this evening from 7.30pm. Thanks for all the laughs. We shall still be watching…

I’m really looking forward to returning to Bristol for the always excellent Slapstick Festival. This year’s celebration of custard pies and clowning begins on Wednesday, with highlights including tributes to Victoria Wood and Rik Mayall, a fascinating investigation into the collaboration between ‘Buster’ Keaton and Samuel Beckett, Roy Hudd resurrecting the Pure Gold of Music Hall, Max Miller, screenings of Harold Lloyd’s Hot Water, Jacques Tati’s Mon Oncle, and a particularly pertinent presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. I won’t be arriving until the Saturday, but hope to join Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie and Robin Ince for a look at the Goodies in print, Neil Innes and Dick Fiddy sifting through ultra-rare telly remnants of the Bonzo Dog Band, and Jeffrey Holland’s love letter to his hero Stan Laurel. From 11am. on Sunday, 22nd. January, I’ll be on stage at the Bristol Old Vic, saluting that behemoth of buffoonery Tommy Cooper, in the company of one who oft wrote for him and knew him well, the national treasure that is Barry Cryer. If any of that tickles your fancy, and how couldn’t it?, you can find out more information and ticket availability at www.slapstick.org.uk See you there!

Comedy nostalgia champions Gold TV have held a poll amongst comedians to ascertain the Best British Sitcom and, unsurprisingly, it’s still ‘Fawlty Towers’! The twelve episode run of perfection, written by John Cleese and Connie Booth in the 1970s, beat other cast-iron classics including ‘Dad’s Army’, ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and ‘The Young Ones’. David Baddiel, Jenny Eclair, Alexei Sayle and Reece Shearsmith joined 96 other professional mirth-makers for a survey that stretches from Tony Hancock to Ricky Gervais, and named Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge and Joanna Lumley’s Patsy Stone as finest comedy performances. I popped in on Phil Kennedy’s afternoon show on BBC Berkshire to discuss the findings. Top fun as usual.

A very Happy Two Thousand and Seventeen, and it’s a year that promises to be exciting, productive and full of laughter! The New Year honours list certainly gave 2017 a tattifelarius start, when a knighthood was bestowed on relentless giggle juggernaut Ken Dodd. One of still only a handful of comedians to get the nod – George Robey, Charlie Chaplin, Bruce Forsyth (“I’m an entertainer…”) – Sir Ken has been making the nation laugh since the 1950s and now, in his 90th. year, he is still on the road. “Absolutely delighted and highly tickled to have been given the honour”, it is a well-deserved salute to a towering behemoth of variety comedy.

Very sad to hear that Andrew Sachs died last month, at the age of 86. It was a thrill to get to know Andrew through the official BBC celebration ‘Fawlty Towers: Fully Booked’, and later work with him more informally on the 2003 ‘Monkey’ dubbing sessions, and the outrageous comedy lunches for the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. His comedy masterwork is, of course, Manuel; with four pop singles, public appearances and knowing resurrections of the role – notably as the hotel manager in the ‘Are You Being Served?’ film – keeping the joy flowing beyond those six perfect hours of television situation comedy. As an actor his work ranged from Brian Rix’s Whitehall farces and the Pink Panther series to an understated Doctor Watson on BBC radio; while his immigrant childhood gave an added weigh to his astonishing performance in Silent Witness: ‘The World Cruise’. His autobiography ‘I Know Nothing’ is an immensely readable record of an extraordinary, long and prolific life and talent to amuse. A talent that will keep him at the top table of actors for a long time to come.

Delighted to be a guest ‘expert’ on the pilot recording of the BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz ‘Gaby’s Talking Pictures’. Many thanks to the charming and very welcoming producers Gaby Roslin and Gordon Kennedy for inviting me to take part at the BBC’s RADA Studios. It was glorious fun, both on-air and off, with the rest of the panel. Transmission details to follow, just as soon as I know them. And no prizes for guessing my specialist subject!