Huge congratulations to show business legend Jim Dale who turns 75 today. Happy birthday, old friend. You must have a portrait in the attic!

Carry On fans are in for a treat tomorrow when members of The Whippit Inn forum gather at Brighton’s New Madeira Hotel on Marine Parade. Local boy and Carry On Abroad babe magnet Ray Brooks with be joined by the glamorous Vicki Woolf (Carry On…Up the Khyber) and Georgina Moon (Carry On Camping and Carry On Behind). Tickets cost a mere £25 and last minute questions can be asked at carryonupthewinkle@googlemail.com.

Those lovely folk at The Max Miller Appreciation Society have alerted me to the lifestyle publication, ‘The Magazine People’. They are holding a poll to ascertain “The Greatest Brightonian” from a selected list of thirty people. Just over 10% of those listed were actually born in the town, including Maxie of course, so send in your vote for ‘The Cheeky Chappie to vote@magazinepeople.co.uk, including the name MAX MILLER in the subject box. Alternatively you can send in a postal vote to: The Greatest Brightonian, The Magazine People, Head Office, Studio Six, Sussex Mews, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5QJ.

Oh, and in the interest of fairness, here are the other hopefuls:  Richard Attenborough, Zoe Ball, Raymond Briggs, Julie Burchill, Charles Busby, Edward Carpenter, Winston Churchill, Sir Edward Codrington, Steve Coogan, Norman Cook, Simon Cowell, Chris Eubank, William Friese-Grene, George IV, Graham Greene, Tony Hawks, Barbara Hulanicki, Rudyard Kipling, Sir Edward Marshall Hall, Paul McCartney, Alan Melville, Laurence Olivier, John Osbourne, Steve Ovett, Fred Perry, Anita Roddick., Robert Smith, Magnus Volk, Mark Williams.

The closing date is 10th September 2010.

A delightful lunch with John and Sam Carson in the snug actor-friendly chow-house, Joe Allen. Conversation ranging from Oliver Reed to Max Wall, memories of stage nerves, the buzz of work and an interesting new commercial involving John and a robot that isn’t there filled up hours and hours. Thanks to the staff for their kindness and smiles despite our clearly out-staying our welcome 😉 Then off to the London Palladium for the musical comedy ‘Sister Act’. Still successfully packing them in after over a year at the theatre, the added bonus for three weeks only is the addition of Whoopi Goldberg. The original star of the 1980s film, Whoopi brings pure joy to the hard-nosed Mother Superior with a fine line in put-downs. The audience exploded on her first entrance and it was only by her fifth or sixth appearance that we had stopped clapping the mere fact she was on the stage. Comedy legend Ian Lavender, having appeared in the production from the beginning, brought energy and fleetness of foot to his supporting role of the Monsignor while Simon Webbe, formerly of boy band Blue, is a revelation as the Gangster boyfriend. The boy can obviously sing, but he has a knowing sense of comedy and the confidence of a Disco Pimp!

An uproarious birthday lunch with Vera Day – not at that lovely little pub in Winnerden Flats but at Browns, Covent Garden. A lovely time was had by all.