Eric Sykes

Sad to hear that writer and comedian Eric Sykes passed away this morning after a short illness. He was 89.

Famous for having Hattie Jacques as his TV sister and for being almost totally deaf and choosing to wear hollow framed glassless, spectacles that enabled him to hear (even though he had perfect eyesight) he was a very funny man indeed, who over a career spanning over 50 years, worked with and wrote for some of the all time greats.

My favourite memory of him as both writer and actor is a silent film from 1967. Called The Plank, it also starred Tommy Cooper and was a comedy of errors based around the simple task of buying a single floor board for a new house… It looks slightly dated now, but is still a masterpiece in timing and simplicity…