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Hooray for Humph Like many I was saddened at the death of Humphrey Lyttelton. I was lucky enough to meet him a few years ago and here's a picture I took of him then:
It was a school event, and Humph played jazz with the school orchestra. Great moment. Famous for many things, Humph nevertheless had an enduring soft spot for Samantha, his fictional companion on the radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, who used to sit on his right hand. Her exploits were legendary, and Humph would regale listeners with them. On one occasion she had to nip off to the National Opera, where she'd been giving private tuition to the singers. Having seen what she did with the baritone, the director was keen to see what she might do for a tenor. Samantha made one of her regular visits to the gramophone library. The kindly old archivist keeps a small terrier for company and Samantha makes a point of taking a treat of a biscuit or two. The archivist says he always loves to watch his little dog as he scampers up to Samantha with her couple of crackers held out and pants around her ankles. Samantha went to her local butcher and after tasting his various meat pies, she said she liked Mr Dewhurst's beef in ale; although she preferred his tongue in cider. Samantha has been asked to take over as the new supervisor in the gramophone library. Her first task is a complete staff reorganisation and to allocate new duties to the nice old archivists. They say that when she's finished her assessment they're hoping Samantha will give them a group presentation in the conference room and then hand jobs out in the office. Samantha and the archivist find that extensive research in the gramophone library is hard work and they both get quite weary. The archivist has a fold-up bed to take an afternoon nap, and has provided Samantha with a comfy reclining armchair so that she can put her feet up while he gets his head down. Humph once concluded the radio show with the following: 'And so, as the still-warm seat of eternity is lifted by the charlady of time, before she brandishes aloft the Toilet Duck of destiny, it's time to go.'
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