Eric Sykes 

It was with great regret that I learned of the passing of Eric Sykes on the 4th of July 2012. He was the last man standing of a great vein of comedic talent that seemed to find voice in the immediate post war years of the mid twentieth century. Monty Python are often extolled as the apex of British comedy and it was to this post WW2 generation that the Pythons owed their existence. I say last man standing June Whitfield  is still among us

I could cut and paste the Wikipedia entry for Mr Sykes at this stage but I will leave that little odyssey for you  to travel through and discover for yourselves. You might even try and hunt down some of his work. You might be pleasantly entertained.

Here is a taster. One of the sketches that I remember most

Eric Sykes was the last of a breed that became famous almost as a result of being in concert parties entertaining troops during the war. Such greats as the Goons and Tommy Cooper, Tony Hancock They gained exposure due to the expanding of radio and then TV needing product to fill the schedules. They had a knack for the ridiculous.

Look for a film called simply The Plank. It was made twice 1968 and later in the late 70's. They are a both a Who's Who of British comedic talent of the time plus a few. James Hunt (1976 F1 champion) appears in the second version. The Plank is possibly a seminal Erik Sykes vehicle showing how small problems can escalate  beyond all recognition in a short space of time.

We shall not see their like again. 

God bless 'em