I had seen Morecambe & Wise work as a member of an audience, but in 1966 I joined Billy Marsh’s agency as an apprentice and we shared an office and so I got to meet The Boys. I got on well with them and they liked me. I would sit in on their meetings with Billy, and chat and laugh with them.
It was a pleasure to see them work. I used to go to Borehamwood to see them recording their TV shows for ATV, and see them in concerts, pantomimes and summer seasons.
Eric and Ernie were immaculate in their dealings and very thoughtful. Once they made a decision, they kept to it. They didn’t go home and change their minds.
If he had a crowd, Eric couldn’t disappoint. He liked the banter. He was exceptionally generous and would laugh at other comedian’s jokes.
Because Ernie used to have Doreen (his wife) with him, I would go out with Eric and keep him company when they were away on tour. We got on very well. Eric and I shared a passion for football and went to football matches together. I can recall attending football matches with both Harry Worth and Jimmy Tarbuck.
My favourite recollection is of going with Billy Marsh to see Eric and Ernie in a summer season my uncle (Bernard Delfont) produced at the ABC Theatre in Great Yarmouth. They were trying out their famous ventriloquist stage routine for the first time. It ran to about four or five minutes. It was an absolute triumph and Eric was ad libbing away and Ernie was on fire. They were on cloud nine afterwards. By the end of the season the routine lasted about fifteen minutes.
It’s important for me to say that I miss both Eric and Ernie.