Sadly Alan Whicker appears to be doing a farewell tour and revisiting the places and people he interviewed during his career - notably during his flagship Whickers World. He started what I hope is not the farewell tour the other night by heading back to Venice where he ended up living at the end of WWII - read his biog if you get a chance.

 

The archive he dipped into included a painful to watch interview (the first ever) with Paul Getty (the richest man in the world BG - Before Gates). Getty was morose and clearly a man whose wealth hadn't brought him the gift of a smile. Despite the obvious wealth evidenced by the room, furnishings and lifestyle many BBC viewers wrote in (BE - before email) to express sympathy for the man. 

 

Compare that to the interview with Percy Shaw. Who? The Yorkshire man who invented Cats Eyes. The interview with Percy took place in a room that was barely furnished - windows were bare and furnishings basic. Percy's Yorkshire accent so thick that it was difficult to understand the answers at times. 

 

Percy had 4 TVs in his austere sitting room to ensure he could keep an eye on the various channels. Alan Whicker asked the obvious question - in the days when there were only 3 channels why have 4 TVs? Well the fourth was for BBC2 Colour - obviously.

BBC1, BBC2, ITV and BBC2 Colour - genius.

Getty had all the trappings of wealth and still seemed morose and maybe even depressed. Percy seemed happy to have a few mates round for a blether, share a bottle or two, eat some crisps and watch the High Chaparral in Colour on BBC2. 

 

It was classic Whicker - Percy and Getty were quite a contrast. Successful entrepreneurs both but with significantly different outlooks on life.

 

The Monty Python crew once satirised AW - "Here on Whickers Island there are simply too many Alan Whickers". Don't look know - but these days we haven't got enough Alan Whickers - Wossy hardly qualifies does he?