Sad news from down under that Bill Kerr has died at the ripe old age of 92. Very close to my heart as Tony Hancock’s slow-witted chum in so many cherished radio half hours, he also starred opposite Sid James on television in ‘Citizen James’ and Peter Sellers on screen in ‘The Wrong Arm of the Law’. Even during his Hancock days, he had proved himself an actor of intensity. His supporting roles in British war films like ‘The Night My Number Came Up’ and ‘The Dam Busters’ are proof enough, all the more endearing because these dips into drama were mercilessly sent-up in his radio comedy successes. Having returned to his homeland, he impressed in ‘Gallipoli’, ”The Year of Living Dangerously’ and ‘Let’s Get Skase’, but it’s his knack for comedy that will endure. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve listened to ‘The Wild Man of the Woods’ or ‘Sunday Afternoon at Home’ or ‘The Last Bus Home’, and I’m not about to stop now. Reassuringly, the final sounds his neighbours heard were of Bill Kerr laughing uproariously at ‘Seinfeld’ on the telly. Pretty much the perfect way to go. A long life, well lived. I would write more, but I’m only here for four minutes…

A fantastic evening saluting Sergeant Bilko at the National Film Theatre, a prelude to the long-awaited release of the complete series on DVD. Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Phil Silvers’s daughter, Cathy, waxed lyrical on the man and the series. Familiar classics and splendid rarities in the clip choice as well. The 20 disc Bilko Complete Collection from Mediumrare is available from the 22nd September.