Spike could always see the ridiculous in everything which made him unique. A wonderful quality to have. Pity politicians seem to lack that ingredient.

Lol

@@jimmybarrymcsean5299 Sounds about right.

Bahahhaha hilarious ee

I like the story that Harry Seacombe was a gunner whose gun crew had dug a gun pit that was too shallow. On firing their artillery piece it jumped out rolled backwards and over a slope, passing Milligan on the way. As Milligan put it a short bespectacled gunner ran up and asked Spike "have you seen an artillery piece go past?". "Umm..What colour was it ?"

.? I'm

)R&

They lived in Woy Woy a small nice but not very exciting town town just north of Sydney popular with retirees. Spike described it as the only town where they bury people overground. They named a footbridge after him.

"He can't be too happy if he isn't!"

@@Gribbo9999 I believe he also said Woy Woy was so small that the town prostitute was a virgin.

Nicely put.. 😎👍☘🍺

I've got one as well, myself and my brother (his is framed in our parents living room), we went backstage after Spike's show at The Gaiety, Dublin in 1982. I was 9, the bro was 6, or as Spike wrote on the autograph 6/10.

What an absloute genius of a comedian Spike was. You could listen to him all day. Pity his humour is continually interrupted by that self absorbed prick sitting next to him with his carefully manicured nauseating laugh that can only come from a patronising disinterested fucking moron.

it's bloody political correctness gone fking mad, if even half of the older comedains (as you mentioned and a few others) tried to do what they did now, they'd be fking locked in pirsion wi key thrown away or just killed. sad, but true. R.I.P True Comedy!

And Benny Hill too!

Another late thought. Milligan, Seacombe, Bentine and Sellers had all seen WW II service up the sharp end and I believe it gave them and many others a certain quality when it came to taking some things, shall we say, a little less seriously. Or put another way, they knew what mattered and what didn't. Sorry that's a bit clumsy.

Oh great, another human being who has heard of Tony Hancock. He was before my time, but every time I'm stressed I have to put on that episode where he buys loads of cameras. I love Hancocks Half Hour it's the best comedy show ever. All innocent fun.

Mr Wolfe yeah I laughed out loud at that one.

0

JOHN CLEESE WAS A VERY CLOSE SECOND

Damien CALLAGHAN Yes I absolutely agree. I’m a Canadian and never visited The UK during the period when the Goons were popular. However I did buy a cassette tape of a number of their shows and I also was convinced that Spike Milligan and all of them were some of the funniest comedians that I have ever experienced. John Cleese was/is right up there with them and his Fawlty Towers was the best comedy that I have ever seen, bar none.

Victor Borge and him close equals..... different but just as funny....

@@damiencallaghan9389 spike milligan and peter sellers for me stand alone as the two comic geniuses of the 20th century

Very well said Steve. Both my maternal Grandfather, and my eldest paternal Uncle fought in North Africa in the same campaign as Spike. My Grandfather ended up being a sound guy during the working week, but getting drunk in the local Masonic club on a saturday, and sometimes using my Grandmother as a punchbag after staggering home. My Uncle was more upstanding. I don't know, but perhaps he felt he had a standard to follow, as he actually lied about his age on volunteering. He was only 16. I'd have to do some real ancestral digging to get at the truth, in terms of publishable records, but he's a bloody strong contender for the youngest soldier at El Alamein, if my family history is as sound as I think it is.

My Uncle was on his TA camp in August 1939 and was then at war until 1945. He served in North Africa in the Tank Regiment. The only thing he couldn't stand was any form of salad.

@@Toolpusher Now they've done Iraq, Libya, and still in the process of butchering Yemen, had a good go, via Prox,i in Syria - slaughtered thousands of Christian villagers, there, Oh Goodee ! Only Iran leaved apart from Somalia. The World will soon be "Free". For Rothschild's Banksters, at any rate

Steve Payne Pa and freides

Rick Grimes It is no idle remark to say that Spike Milligan changed and influenced British comedy practically single handedly. He stretched the special effects department of BBC Radio to its limits in the 50's.

Rick Grimes Spike is as you rightly said is FUCKING HILARIOUS.

+Rick Grimes Seek out more of his material, and The Goon Show. You won't regret it.

+Paul Coddington And check out The Telegoons.

Also read his war memoirs. So funny!

Jess Gibbs

Not missed and best forgetten

Goon but not for Rotherham.

The Pale Emperor Spike invented modern comedy. Most comics haven't caught up with him yet, he really was that far ahead of the game.

Milligan had extremely intelligent wit and a quick tongue to match. Williams wasn't near as funny.

That’s mad that you mentioned Robin Williams cos I just watched an interview Spike did with Joanna Lumley and he was exactly like Robin Williams. Only as you say it was before Robin Williams

Yeah this interview reminded me of a Robin Williams interview he had with some chat show host Craig Ferguson I think

J

Yes in my opinion Gay Byrne was the very best on Irish radio and television . He will never be bettered. I stopped listening to radio and watching The late late show when he stopped presenting them. Will miss him greatly.

Aged 85

I thought gaybo could be a bit pompous and arrogant at times, but still the better one. Can't have Tubridy. (maybe it's the name 🤔) Kenny was worse. If they ever give it to D'Arcy, I'm emigrating.

I saw Gay Byrne introduce the Beatles on their first TV appearance in 1962 round about my 14th birthday, he was a popular presenter on Scene at Six thirty on Granada television. The Beatles did well after that.

@MichaelKingsfordGray He is only funny looking.

Great guy and funny without bad language

Who he left to live elsewhere for most of his life. HA

@@VCYT He never ever lived in Ireland !!! He was British !!!!!

He was in fact born in India decided to become Irish when he lost his belief in England

The clue is in the name. He was born british by accident, he chose to be irish.

@fus149 Hammer he did say in an interview he lost faith in England so the oath thing might have something to do with it

+Felix Burke 100% Correct. "High's and Lows" not much middle.

Had it myself all my life, my mother and one aunt too. Makes me love Spike and his humour all the more.

Yeah been a sufferer of bi polar since I was a boy now 60 love spike his lows as well as his highs rest well Mate at peace at last

What is bi bolar

He once said that he reckoned he suffered from PTSD, only it wasn't invented back then

+Nobsta Nutts spot on! i play the trumpet because my grandad was inspired to play the trumpet badly by him playing it well! if that makes any sense!

Cheers bro.I played for a year at 11yrs but gave it up..My dad played for over 70yrs until 82..He did his last gig the night before he suffered a fatal heart attack December last.

+Nobsta Nutts He never let on to many of his fans. He didn't like to blow his own trumpet.

Very good sir..yes he got brassed off with the adulation.

Most comedians are depressed. And there are a few funny ones about today.

He was a great host. The show is actually still going but he presented it for many yrs from the early 60´s until 1999. What was good about him was that he followed the flow of the conversation and let the guests speak. It was also unusual in that it was went out live for 2 hours on a Friday night.

yeh mate. I'm a half Spike, he's influence

Philip Croft Phillip we were so lucky we had the best of every thing ,comics ,music ,safety etc ,families eating together,proper Christian Xmas and on and on ,nostalgia is a wonderful feeling,cheers Mark Cardiff 🇬🇧❤️

It might also mean ‘devotee of’ or ‘follower of’ youth; or possibly of Owen.

I think Harry's version was that they heard the crack of the howitzer and thought that the Germans had broke through, but then saw Spike coming down the slope asking "Anybody has seen a gun!?"

Oh ,grow a fukin brain cell

You had just watched the "godfather" of modern British humour. In fact, his surreal (outside the box) humour transcended & is within the DNA of all the "good quality" Brit humour post WW2...because the entire British nation were glued to their radio sets listening to his Goon show on the BBC during the 50's, (which were grey, glum & depressing days & not as vivid as the USA had enjoyed). We Brits were still a "stiff" lot. The Goon show was very whacky & imaginative stuff (you'd have thought he was a pot head or a crackhead) which inspired future writers & comedians of my parents & grandparents generation.. Anybody born much before the Edwardian era (1920's)or Victorian era would have simply found him anarchistic (punk) or too silly. I've noticed Spike's not up for todays generation since the kids been oversaturated & had their "funny bones" decapitated by the PC brigade.

Yea very sad