Saturday 23 April 2016

Weekend: Remembering Ronnie Corbett

You won't find me name-dropping luvvies, mainly because I don't know any - with two* exceptions, one of them now sadly departed.  I refer to my former neighbour Ronnie Corbett of that ilk.
Pic: Beeb

I knew him (a bit) for over 40 years.  It was always amusing to see a Rolls Royce driving around with just a pair of hands visible on the wheel and a glimpse of the crown of his head.  Seriously, he was a top bloke and had a real sense of civic duty and noblesse oblige.  If you asked him for something realistic (a bit of undemanding figure-head patronage, school prize day or opening a community hall, you know the sort of thing) he would usually try to help - year in, year out.  Not every star of stage and screen is quite such a nice chap.  (I once had a run-in with Cyril Fletcher which was of quite another character.)   Ronnie Corbett, David MacKay, Frank Kelly - all the good guys are dropping like flies.  (If the Reaper is coming after the songwriters now - Wood, Prince - then McCartney and Dylan had better get a shift on with their oldies gig.)

A funny story: the road we lived in was something of a rat-run for unwanted truck traffic, and the Council proposed to install a width-restrictor about a hundred yards from Chateau Corbett.  He objected, strongly.  So the bastards placed it between the 'in' and the 'out' of his sweeping in-and-out drive - with the result that trucks would take a detour through his property to avoid the barrier!  He had to fence off one of his entrances to stop them.  Sounds like a Ronnie Barker joke.

Yes, everyone got on well with Ronnie - not least, the local vicar: great golfing buddies, and he even 'changed his mind' on baptising babies born out of wedlock when Ronnie asked him to baptise one of his grandchildren ...  Will be missed, as they say.

ND

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*The other is Angelina Jolie (sic), to whom I am related by marriage.  Strange but true.  Mrs D likes to claim that connection as one to Brad Pitt as well.

11 comments:

Border Reiver said...

" If you asked him for something realistic (a bit of undemanding figure-head patronage, school prize day or opening a community hall, you know the sort of thing) he would usually try to help - year in, year out."

Seahouses RNLI was one

E-K said...

I liked that era of gentle comedy very much. It is very sad to see these people go.

E-K said...

Prince`s stonemason has his work cut out:

`Here lies the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince`

(I think I may have been first with that joke)

dearieme said...

Oh, I see, it's THAT prince who's died.

andrew said...


Gentle comedy

... I propose Milton Jones as the best living practitioner of the short form.

Bill Quango MP said...

Ek. Way too late. I had a Verizon on Twitter in moments. And that was too late.

I did tell Mrs Q, another one has gone!
Who?
The artist , formerly known as being alive, is dead.

She burst into tears. Felt very bad. Didn't realise she was such a big fan.

Bill Quango MP said...

When I was 12 ish I was dropped off at the dentist. In the waiting room was Bruce Forsyth and Jimmy Tarbuck.
They were waiting for Ronnie to get his gnashers done so they could go and play some golf.

only time I ever saw him was when he came out. His teeth were USA Today shiny white.
Bruce Forsyth only lives a few roads over from ma quango. They play Bridge.

Anonymous said...

Brucie must be wondering who's next.

Electro-Kevin said...

Vivian Westwood used to live opposite my house. (Before she became famous)

The MUSE bassist used to own my house. (Before he became famous)

Does *before* famous count ???

Actually... is the MUSE bassist famous ???

Electro-Kevin said...

Blue - I've answered you on 'There is Another Way'

I am in agreement broadly. Tough love economics. But open borders is brutal without welfare. And open borders with welfare is bankrupting.

I am like I am because I am a concerned father, not a miserablist failure.

James Higham said...

Um, er, bit late isn't it? He's gone cold by now.