humph no more

Humphrey Lyttleton has died.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7367385.stm

Really very, very sad.  Not only is it the end of Humph but it probably spells the end for easily the funniest program on the radio – I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue.  I discovered this in my 6th year of school and have been listening ever since.  There is nothing, absolutely nothing that comes close to being as funny.

Perhaps because he was an old man, chairing a panel of 3 other older men he got away with murder for what was a early evening slot.

They played a game called Uxbridge English Dictionary in which panelists had to come up with new definitions for existing words.  Always liked Barry Cryer’s new definition of Country Park - What you say to a 4×4 driver when he takes up two spaces.  In the same vein was Countryside – To kill Piers Morgan, and then their was Ross Noble’s Philharmonic – To feed Her Majesty.

…and then there was Humph’s description of One Song To The Tune Of Another, stories of Samantha nipping off and  of course the masterful chairmanship of Mornington Crescent.

It was the same thing week in, week out.  The jokes were familiar and at times really bad and outdated- but it was brilliant.  Every week would see the panel reduce the audience to tears.  We don’t do comedy like this anymore.

Anyway, if you don’t believe me then this man here has very helpfully, and probably illegally collected a few episodes of the show online.  If you’ve never listened then do, because it’s brilliant.