Cricklewood

I subscribe to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography's daily email, which means I get the life story of a king, a queen, a statesman, an artist, a scientist in a daily email. Someone famous, someone who has made a contribution to society, a life written down in a few hundred words. If you check the website you get a picture as well. Sometimes I don't take the time to read the life, sometimes I learn something new about someone I already knew something about, and sometimes I make the acquaintance of an unknown.

Today it was the life story of our man in Cricklewood, and that can be only one man. I first heard the voice of Alan Coren when I started listening to the News Quiz, many years ago. I loved listening to the man's voice and to his stories. He was able to tell a story with passion, with just the right turn of phrase, and could hold your attention. When he was on a roll I could be laughing aloud for a while, just listening to him talk. He told stories in a way only he could, and you never quite knew where he was heading. His dancing lesson from the sergeant was a great example, and from the way he told the story you could see it all happening right in front of
your eyes. And just once he burst into song, and gave a wonderful rendition of Lili Marleen, in German, much to the amazement of the others on the News Quiz, and, I'm sure, many members of the audience. I used to record the programme on cassette and listen to the various episodes over and over again. Listening to old recordings the same stories can still make me laugh every time.

Some people in your life have the power to bring a smile to your face when you hear or see their name, when you see their picture or hear their voice. Usually these are people you know personally, that you care about and that you share good memories with. And just occasionally it is someone you don't know personally, but who has made you laugh. Alan Coren is one of those people for me, listening to his stories again brings a smile to my face, reading his life story did as well.