LEP column: Here’s to the king of comedy writers
Jimmy Cricket remembers legendary comedy writer and close friend, the late Eddie Braben, in one of his recent newspaper columns.
Edwin ‘Eddie’ Charles Braben was best known for providing material for Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. He also worked for David Frost, Ronnie Corbett and Ken Dodd.
He was credited with changing the profile of Morecambe and Wise, helping to turn them into one of the most popular and enduring comedy acts in the history of British entertainment.
Belfast-born entertainer Jimmy, who has lived in Rochdale for many years, recalls in the Lancashire Post how Eddie started out as a market trader, selling fruit and veg from a stall in Liverpool’s St John precinct. In his spare time, he made up jokes.
Jimmy says how nervous he was when he first met Eddie, adding: “That was the start of a beautiful friendship that spanned two TV series, five radio series and even a book of letters from my Mammy.”
Northern Irish comedian Jimmy developed a lasting friendship with Eddie who sadly died aged 82 in May 2013. Below is a newspaper article in which Jimmy paid tribute to his old pal at the time.
A special poster has been produced to publicise the 5K charity fun run being organised to mark Jimmy Cricket’s 70th birthday in October.
The fund-raising gala dinner evening was organised by Pauline’s widower, Graham Helm (pictured below with Jimmy), and was held in one of the club’s main function suites, which was packed to the rafters with almost 450 people there.
Famous Northern Irish comedian Jimmy said: “The evening raised a magnificent £10,000 in total and this achieved figure was a richly deserved outcome for Graham after all of his efforts over a number of months in the lead-up to the event.”
