Happy Birthday, Wyn!

The incomparable Wyn Calvin MBE is, so The Times informs me, 80 years old today.

As a lad visiting Llandudno, I considered the highlight of my holiday to be a visit to the lost, lamented Arcadia Theatre, where Wyn Calvin topped the bill for season after season, often supported by such seasoned troupers as Clive Stock, Gwen Overton and Ted Durante.

Wyn was the master of the one-line put-down, suavely quelling any incautious heckler brave or stupid enough to put his head above the parapet. Indeed, Wyn’s put-downs were probably the main reason I went to see him; they were even funnier than his well-rehearsed stand-up routine.

Wyn styles himself the “Welsh Prince of Laughter”, but he is so much more. For years, he has worked tirelessly for charity; he is past President of the Variety Club of Great Britain and former King Rat of the Grand Order of Water Rats. Most importantly,Wyn is a great Welshman who has enriched the lives of many thousands of people, myself included.

So happy birthday, Wyn! "Thank you for the pleasure of your company!"