Ah Sykes... one of teh real greats with timing and subtlety!

Loved him and Hattie Jaques in that TV series about them living together - brother and sister!

He was the brains behind teaching Milligan how to put some sort of structure on the Goons.. (a couple of years of the scripts are co-authored by him)

The ABC (Oz) used to play the Goons Every Sat at 12 noon for about 20 years, now they have moved it to 3:30pm Sat, and a few other times like 5:30am Friday morning... aaaghhh!

Always LOVED the musicians they had. Max Geldray (I believe cover name for the US guy who was McCarthy blacklisted?) and others whise names I can't remember. But I will never forget the week of the BBC musicians strike... the Goons went on, and did all the musical interludes themselves - without instruments!

I think that was the birth of Jim Spriggs ...

I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
Across the Irish Sea!
I've tried walking sideways,
and walking to the front.
But they all just look at me
and say he's just a silly ....

And Harry "Sir Cumference" Secombe (suffered from "Duck's Disease") would burst into song, followed by Sellars "You'll starve!"

Robin