His father committed suicide by jumping from the top of Harlestone church tower when Mayne was three years old, after which his mother moved the family to Torbay and then London.
However at the time of his death it was remembered that "he brought to religious broadcasting, if not much in the way of innovation or combative empire-building, yet a great deal in terms of stylistic enrichment and quality.
He was.....an artist rather than an administrator, a performer rather than an initiator; but he enjoyed very wide respect in his department and outside, with a wit and a humanity which endeared him (despite an occasional grandeur of manner) to his many friends.
In addition, he "persuaded his colleagues and some other devout souls to assemble in St Faith's Chapel at 7 am every day for 40 minutes of silent prayer before the regular morning services.
"[3] During his tenure he selected various people to be commemorated in the abbey, including Oscar Wilde, Alexander Pope, Edward Lear, Robert Herrick and Matthew Arnold.