In 1924, he set himself up as a poultry farmer in Cranbrook, but lost much of his fortune in the European banking crisis of 1931.

[1][2] He was educated at Cranbrook School as were his fellow commentators Barry Davies and Brian Moore.

[2] Facing a post war world with no qualifications, West secured a job as assistant to the Controller of SSAFA, a retired Air Vice-Marshal but was sacked after a run-in with his boss.

[2] In addition, from 1955 to 1982 he played second fiddle to Dan Maskell in the BBC's television coverage of Wimbledon.

He presented many BBC programmes not connected with sport, including the original version of Come Dancing (1957–72), What's My Line?, and Get Ahead (1958–62), about business entrepreneurs.

West married Pauline Pike in 1946, the woman he met in his first job, the one-time secretary to the irascible SSAFA Air Vice Marshal.

[2] West died from prostate cancer at his home in Combe Down, in Bath, Somerset, on 2 September 2003, aged 83.