Number 77 March 2016 Sir Terry Wogan 3 August 1938 –31 January 2016 he day after our President died, the Guardian ’s collective noun for his radio audience): his wife of 50 venerable radio critic, Nancy Banks-Smith, years, Helen, was always ‘the present Mrs Wogan’; pTublished a brief obituary titled ‘The PG Wodehouse chief announcer Alan Dedicoat was re-christened of Radio’, noting that, like Wodehouse, Sir Terry ‘Deadly Alancoat’; and newsreader John Marsh Wogan began his professional life working in a bank, ended up as ‘Boggy’. Terry was the genial ringmaster had a matchless way with words, was possessed of a of this troupe, keeping a deceptively light touch on gentle wit, and immersed his many devotees in an proceedings as Britain readied itself for the working askew world of silliness that at times bordered on the day ahead. surreal. Latterly, Terry read And so he did, making out short, unsolicited him a shoo-in for the scripts that were often Presidency of The P G funnier than the Wodehouse Society (UK), a professionals could come role he filled for fewer than up with. By far the most two years before his popular were the jaw- untimely death from cancer, dropping innuendos and age 77, on 31 January 2016. single entendres of the But whereas Wodehouse’s ‘Janet and John’ stories, world was the author’s penned by regular listener singular vision, Wogan’s Mick Sturbs (Kevin was a collaborative con- Joslin), that regularly fection with the listeners to made Wogan and his on- his breakfast show on BBC air team corpse helplessly. Radio 2 that ran from 1972 In one episode, John to 1984, later returning in innocently recounts his 1993 for a further 17-year visit to the local beauty stint. By his retirement in parlour, where his Italian 2010, Wake Up To Wogan therapist reveals herself to was the most popular radio programme in Europe, be a keen cook and also an amateur pugilist: “After I with over 8 million regular listeners. had my treatments, Donatella said, if I fancied a bit Why? Because, as Banks-Smith puts it so of linguine, I could wait for a few minutes, she’d beautifully (and cogently), “like the daily sun, he shave her pecorino in the kitchen and then I could brought disinfecting warmth”. Coming out of a 7.30 see her box.” An incensed Janet then shuts his head a.m. news bulletin that featured the usual litany of in the trouser press. doom and gloom, the outside world where ‘good If any other broadcaster (with the possible news is no news’ was instantly shown the door, exception of Humphrey Lyttelton) had come out subverted by insights and aperçus from a parade of with anything half as risqué, it would have been the his regular correspondents, who included Lou cue for industrial quantities of media humbug Smorrels, Alf Hartigan, Mandy Lifeboats, Edna questioning the continued existence of the BBC: but Cloud, and Hugh Again, among dozens of others. because it was Terry, the Corporation’s regular Everyone, including ‘The TOGmeister’ himself, had knockers parked their agendas and laughed along a nickname (‘TOG’ being an acronym for ‘Terry’s with him (the recordings have subsequently found Old Geezers and Gals’, which later became the their way onto CD, raising money for Terry’s beloved Wooster Sauce – March 2016 Children in Need charity). In fact, the BBC once But Terry knew full well when and how to behave commissioned a media studies guru from a respected when the situation demanded: soon after the university to analyse how Wogan’s humour ‘worked’, announcement of Princess Diana’s death, he how they might replicate it on other shows, and confined his remarks to three words: “Those poor enhance his ‘brand’ on the internet. Which was, of boys.” As fellow DJ Simon Mayo noted, “He always course, to miss the point spectacularly. Like all the had the right phrase, the right tone” – an uncanny greatest humour, Terry’s was unique and knack that lasted until his death. It has been widely unrepeatable. Put quite simply, he was the fabled reported that the longstanding atheist’s final words friend behind the microphone who talked to you and to his close friend Father Brian D’Arcy were: not at you, turning the passive act of listening to the “Everything’s going to be all right, old boy.” D’Arcy’s radio into an involving, engaging experience. Few, if subsequent radio tribute described Wogan as “one of any, did it better. the most thorough, educated, friendly, charitable Part of his appeal was, of course, that he seldom gentlemen I’ve ever met”. Those of us who met and put a foot wrong, while all the time skirting the chatted with him – however fleetingly – at the two boundaries of what was acceptable – although on one Wodehouse dinners he attended (and at which he occasion, a letter from ‘Tess Tickles’ did manage to spoke to great acclaim) were also left with that slip under his radar. “I just print ’em”, came the impression. response from his long-suffering producer, Paul He was a tireless promoter of Wodehouse, perhaps Walters, who also hadn’t noticed. He also regularly because of the unshakeable air of optimism they broke another broadcasting taboo – that of eating and seemed to share. On two of the three occasions he speaking at the same time: hardly a day passed was chosen as the castaway on Desert Island Discs , without him munching something or another at the Terry singled out Wodehouse titles as his favourite mic, and when his final radio boss, Bob Shennan, read, and his 2014 appearance on With Great first eavesdropped on the show, Terry offered him a Pleasure (in which he name-checked the Society) bite of the meat pie he’d been warming under the featured Sir David Jason performing Gussie Fink- studio anglepoise. Nottle’s prize-giving speech from Right Ho, Jeeves . In Television inevitably beckoned, and Terry soon 2011, he presented a TV documentary that looked at mastered that, too, although the medium was not the life and work of his hero, from which the quite such a comfortable fit as the radio. Extended following is an extract of the script: “His use of stints presenting BBC TV’s Come Dancing (1974– language is unequalled, his characters are delightful 79), Blankety Blank (1979–83), and his own chat and no matter what mood you are in, a dip into a show (1982–92) came and went, but it was as the Wodehouse will always pick you up. I always keep a UK’s host of the Eurovision Song Contest (1971– copy of one of his works on my bedside table. My 2008) that Terry really left his mark, further honing own humble attempts at humour just bear no his broadcasting skills and his sense of the ridiculous. comparison to his work. Every sentence he wrote Quick to realize the show was beyond parody, his seems bathed in sunshine.” often acerbic commentary rendered the “music” And there’s that sun metaphor making a utterly incidental, and when hauled before the welcome reappearance. European Broadcasting Union grandees to explain One Wogan statement we at the Society might his less-than-reverent attitude to their cherished now take issue with was featured in an interview he competition, he simply replied that the British always gave soon after surrendering his Eurovision duties: mock the things they love the most. as well as noting that in future, he would be watching Sometimes his subversion was not so gentle: in the show “with the benefit of alcohol – much as I his early days at the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ, who used to do when I did the commentary”, he added: “I gave him his first professional job, he was renowned have always tried to get off the beach before the tide for setting the chief newsreader’s script on fire mid- goes out. We all have our entrances and exits, but you broadcast; years later, he whacked Radio 1’s Simon have to try to get your timing right.” Bates around the head with a rolled-up Radio Times Unfortunately, Sir Terry, you didn’t manage it on as he read out his syrupy ‘Our Tune’ feature live on this occasion. We had such plans for you . air – something we all wanted to do but never dared. AUL ENT – P K Patrick Kidd on Terry Wogan Journalist and Society member Patrick Kidd related this amusing anecdote in his Times Diary of February 1. Terry Wogan was well read but wore his learning lightly. One of his roles was as president of the P G Wodehouse Society. For his first address at the society’s dinner, he spoke magically and at length about Wodehouse, Sir Michael Gambon (a guest that night) and their shared background in Ireland, ending with praise for the food served that night. At the end, the editor of the society’s journal asked for Wogan’s script and was handed three lines scribbed on the back of the menu, almost all of which was his verdict on the beef. Page 2 Wooster Sauce – March 2016 Society News Note the New Date – and Sharpen Your Brain! anniversary of the death of Percy Jeeves by planting a Members planning to attend our summer meeting should tree in his memory. Members are invited to attend, note that it won’t be in July, as originally announced. though if you also wish to attend the luncheon following Due to a concatenation of circumstances, we have had to the ceremony, you must purchase tickets.