* Stone me!
This 12 May marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tony Hancock (1924-68), the wonderfully lugubrious comedian with his trademark homburg and astrakhan-collared coat, and the somewhat dilapidated lodgings at 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam.
After catching the acting bug in an RAF wartime entertainment unit, Hancock got his big break with his eponymous half-hour radio – and later TV – series broadcast from 1954 to 1961.
Playing a down-at-heel comedian who merged with his real personality, he was beset by a supporting cast of conmen and oddballs, including the future Carry On troupe of Sid James, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams.
It was the show's wonderfully observed focus on the mundane aspects of everyday life that made it a work of comedic genius. In the process, it paved the way for the likes of and , as well as every tragic British sitcom star from Rupert
