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| An accidental comedian who joined
the greats |
Comedy legend Eric Sykes honed his skills
in the army and went on to write for the Goons and become a fixture
on our TV screens. Nicholas Parsons looks at his remarkable life
story
If I Don’t Write it Nobody Else Will by Eric Sykes
HarperCollins, £18.99
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Frankie Howerd at work with Eric Sykes
Sykes in his RAF uniform
• Nicholas Parsons
is comedy actor and radio personality who regularly tours
the country with his one-man comedy show. He lives in Belsize
Park.
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THE off-beat title of this autobiography illustrates the gentle
and delightful wit of this much loved entertainer, and makes you
want to read this absorbing and humourous account of his life.
Eric Sykes in real life has a natural charm and wit which endears
him to everyone, and you are aware of this throughout the telling
of his personal journey through life.
He is an experienced comedy writer and he has used these skills
honed over many years to give us an extremely readable book.
The images he creates when he recounts or describes incidents in
his long life, or events in which he has been involved, immediately
become alive to the reader and you have a vivid picture of what
was happening.
The story of his early humble beginnings and his family background
in Oldham, where his father worked in the cotton mills, and the
description of the grim life of the people in those grimy, smoke-laden
industrial towns in pre-war north of England, long before a welfare
state took these working-class families out of what we would today
consider as near poverty is most revealing and at times moving.
The story of his life during his childhood is told without rancour
or bitterness, and with great humour. The picture he prints of the
world in which he grew up is almost Dickensian in character.
It was a time when people accepted their lot in life, didn’t
complain about the harshness of their existence – they were
probably too tired anyway – made their own fun and embraced
any simple pleasures, or modest luxuries that came their way.
Above all they were sustained by a great sense of community, helping
each other, especially when they fell on hard times.
Eric brings all this vividly to life, and sees it all in proportion,
and no doubt it was this tough grounding that gave him the ability
to go forward and achieve all that he has, and most importantly
he has never lost touch with his roots, and throughout his life
he has frequently re-visited his extended family, and told stories
about them which are both affectionate and amusing.
His life changed on the outbreak of war, when Eric immediately enlisted
in the Air Force. He had ambitions to become a pilot, but finished
up as a wireless operator.
He eventually became a corporal, and typical of his personality
throughout his life, never pushed for anything particular, just
accepted the hand that fate had dealt him.
Some of his adventures and that of his platoon in the early years
of the war are quite unbelievable, and one wonders how this country
became the efficient military machine that eventually won the war.
On the other hand it could be Eric’s remarkable ability as
a comedy writer to highlight those incongruous and absurd incidents
and make them so entertaining, this book becomes a joy to read.
Eric and his platoon were in the second wave of troops to be landed
on the Normandy beaches, and his experiences from that time, right
through the Allied campaign as they slowly advanced through France
to Belgium, Holland and eventually finishing in Germany, are fascinating
and illuminating in the extreme.
It was obviously tough, dangerous, difficult and distressing, but
once again he highlights the ridiculous and humourous moments that
help us see that period of the war in perspective and make for an
entertaining read.
For example, when the commanding officer of his platoon, not obviously
the brightest of individuals, led his group blindly forward as they
advanced through France until they were greeted in one small town
as the liberating army. They decided to rest and spend the night
in a wood and at dawn were awakened by gunfire and greeted by a
bevy of tanks, who turned out not only to be British, but also the
advanced guard of the second army. They had actually overtaken the
spearhead of the advancing forces and miraculously survived.
Eric’s first introduction to show-business occurred when his
unit were part of the occupying forces in north Germany.
He happened to see a request on the notice board for individuals
with performance skills to entertain the troops. Without any experience
he applied, and by sheer bluff and persistence, after a failed audition,
he was taken on. He slowly found an ability to perform, and perhaps
more importantly an ability to write comedy scripts, a talent he
has honed over the years until he finished up as one of our most
successful and respected comedy writers, whose credits on radio
and television are now legendary.
He has worked with all the greats in the comedy pantheon from the
late 1940s to the present day. From a chance introduction he first
started for Frankie Howerd, and every thing seemed to follow from
that. For years he was writing the famous Educating Archie radio
series and supplying material for Max Bygraves, Beryl Reid, Hattie
Jacques and other stalwarts of the period.
He formed his own script writing organisation with Spike Milligan
and was supplying material for Tommy Cooper, Harry Secombe, Peter
Sellers, as well as writing some of the famous Goon Shows.
The later part of the book is a veritable Who’s Who of show
business, as Eric either worked for or worked with some of the biggest
names in his profession, and in doing so discovered his natural
ability as an actor, and graduated to what is termed the legitimate
theatre, and even appeared in Shakespeare and other classic drama.
His mother died in giving birth to him and Eric has this touching
belief that in some ways she is watching over him, and whenever
his life has taken an unsuspecting turn for the better following
some lull in his fortunes, he has put it down to her ethereal influence.
A proud and loving family man, he has drawn strength from many sources
to handle in his later years severe deafness and partial blindness
to keep working, and entertaining a devoted public, and long may
that continue.
He is a national treasure, and after reading this modest and unassuming
account of his life you realise why he is so cherished and respected
by everyone both inside and outside his profession. |
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Angelino's finest are put to the test
WE came across Angelino Wines, sandwiched between two colourful and
aggressively self-promoting Australian wine sellers, at Islington’s
London Wine Event at the end of October.
Its owner is Farrell Anglin, whose imagination was caught by a lecture
on the history of wine making at Southgate College.
FULL STORY
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