[3] Aged 13, Alan became a call-boy at the Hippodrome Theatre in Lewisham, where he started to do magic sets on stage between acts.

[4] Laurel had provided inspiration for the look of Alan's most famous creation, Lord Charles,[4] who first appeared at a charity show in Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London.

[1] In 1991 he had a cameo in ElDorado the BBC soap, slapping actor Alex Leam who had slagged off ventriloquism.

His last stage appearance was in November 2008 when he performed at a special charity concert in Bridlington organised by his friend Greg Knight who was MP for the town.

[1] He also wrote for Tony Hancock, Dave Allen and for the shows Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and Bootsie and Snudge, usually under the name Ray Whyberd.

[6] He died from complications of pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, on 24 May 2010, at the age of 79.