Should of mentioned earlier: a while ago someone lent me an audio cassette (remember those?) they had made of Eric doing a cruise ship talk about his experiences and monologues on the people he had worked with over the years. It was one of the funniest things I have ever heard, tears were streaming and I had to leave the motorway before I piled the (customer's) car up. His timing, even at seventy-something was right on the button (and it was all clean). Unfortunately never seen it available commercially but it would be a great memory of him.
Not so much a comedy legend as a fabric of my life, he has always been there. I have to say only 89, I thought he must eb well over the century, such is the endurance of his memory with me.
I am saddened at the loss...RIP Eric....he was one of the few comedy greats that didn't need to use foul language to get people to laugh..indeed in the PLANK he said nothing!! I remember an interview he did some time back where he said he was deaf and couldn't hear people laughing at his jokes - then he had hearing aids put into his glasses frames and he could hear perfectly......and then he realised no one was laughing!! Genius!!
Arfer Smith told a story about meeting Eric Sykes who was one of his heroes, and he found out that neither of them could stand Bruce Forsyth, which made him even better in his eyes. Sykes told him that Brucie once came upto him and offered his hand, saying "Eric, it's so long since we fell out, I can't remember what it was about. Lets bury the hatchet?" Sykes stood there for a moment and said " No Bruce, it's the only thing that keeps me going!"
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R.I.P. Eric Sykes and thanks!
Brilliant slapstick comedy.
I remember an interview he did some time back where he said he was deaf and couldn't hear people laughing at his jokes - then he had hearing aids put into his glasses frames and he could hear perfectly......and then he realised no one was laughing!! Genius!!
Thanks for all the fun.
Gone, but not forgotten.
RIP.
Legend