Sir Ken Dodd RIP

Knotty Ash's King of Comedy died yesterday at the age of 90.

Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd was born on 8 November 1927 in the Liverpool suburb of Knotty Ash, the son of a coal merchant. His birthplace had a central part in his later stage show as he wove surreal tales around Knotty Ash and its inhabitants the "Diddymen."

Ken Dodd had a comedy career of amazing longevity and was the last of the Music Hall giants. He shared with some of the funniest people I ever saw perform that he could make a perfectly ordinary greeting like "Good Morning" or even just a lift of an eyebrow into a gag which would reduce an audience to fits of laughter.

I can recall seeing him perform as a child and he could deliver lines like

"Isn't it a wonderful day for going into Marks & Spencers and shouting 'Woolworths!'"

in a way which made the words far funnier when you watched and heard him say them than they could ever appear on the page of a computer screen.

Ken Dodd continued to work and make people laugh practically right up to the end.

He was knighted a year ago in last year's New Year's Honours list and married his long-term partner on Friday.

There will never be another Ken Dodd.

Rest in Peace

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