Desmond Llewelyn

The Final Interview April 1999

 

On Sunday 19th December 1999, Desmond Llewelyn was killed in a car crash. The loss, not only to his family and friends, but to James Bond fans around the world, was immense. Desmond always had time for the fans, something that never went unnoticed. This final major interview, conducted in April 1999 at his Bexhill home, is a testament to the man. Here he discusses his life and work and thoughts previously unrevealed, to Matthew Field.

36 Years of "Q"
1963 - 1999

How did you become involved in the film industry? Did you always anticipate that acting was the path you would take, or was it a decision you made later in life?
I wasn't really interested in acting in the slightest bit. I was at Radley where I shared a study with Dennis Price, and when I went to Radley I joined the Amateur Dramatics Society, really as a seat shifter as we were re-building the theatre. The first play I saw there was Are You Are, then they did The Devils Disciple. Then Dennis said to me why don't you come and act in Bulldog Drummond. I said no, I wasn't interested in acting. I had done a house play before, which I was pushed into, where I played a vicar in the first scene. When I did Bulldog Drummond I thought that this was rather fun, and then the next play I did was She Stoops to Conquer. I played Marlow, and Dennis played the other character, whose name I can't remember. I thought this was rather fun. After that we took a lot of one act plays to the East End, St Peter's London Docks was a very poor parish, and the school sort of adopted it. We went down there and put on sketches and plays, and from then on I thought I'd better be an actor. My family were slightly against it and my father was dead. He would have never agreed to me being an actor, he would have disliked it very much. I had an uncle who was a Chief Inspector of the Constabulary. He thought I'd better go into the Police, but luckily they turned me down because of my eyes. My eyes have long since been all right! Anyway, I went to the Academy in 1933 and got my first job at Southend-on-Sea in the Repertory, and in the first year I did 40 to 50 plays. I came down here to Bexhill-on-Sea to the Pavilion in 1937.

You've been here ever since?
No. The only reason I'm here is because my wife Pamela inherited that house across the way. The Pavilion opened in 1936 with the premiere of Bernard Shaw's The Millionairess. I met my wife, and I was here in Repertory until 1938, and in '39 I toured in plays. I did my first film Ask A Policeman, with Will Hay. Then I was with the Oxford Repertory company, which was once weekly and twice nightly. One went into the theatre and rehearsed at 10 o'clock in the morning, finished rehearsing at 2 o'clock, and then went back in the theatre at five for two performances and then you had to learn your lines for the next week. They were going to have a wonderful new season in 1939, and were going to have world premieres of plays, European plays and British premieres of plays, all the London producers were coming down. It caused great excitement in the company, whether one was going to be engaged in this wonderful new season or not. Unfortunately war broke out.

World War 2 interrupted your career. After the war, was your enthusiasm for acting as strong as it was before, and what lead to your next break, They Were Not Divided in 1950?
I was just as keen on acting, as I was a prisoner of war, and I was putting on plays in Germany. My stage career was interrupted due to my time in the prison camp. I spent quite a bit of time trying to escape, digging tunnels and things like that. I was actually caught down a tunnel and dug out, which landed me in the cooler for 10 days. I then went back to acting because at the time I was learning Welsh, and I thought it would be rather a good idea to get books, and get escape equipment through by asking for books in Welsh. I went to the escape committee and they thought it was a good idea, so I sent this letter or postcard through. When I came back I went into acting. The first thing I did after that was a play called Golden Eagle, with Claire Loose. Then I was a blur in the background of Hamlet, and also appeared As You Like It, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

From Russia With Love came along in 1963, did you screen test for the role of Major Boothroyd, as the character was known early on, or were you automatically offered the role due to your previous involvement with the director Terence Young?
Yes. I had already done They Were Not Divided with Terence in 1949.

Did you screen test for the role of Boothroyd?
No, no, no and you see Terence knew me. What he wanted was me to play it as a Welshman. I had a helluva fight with him because I told him it wouldn’t work as I could only do a broad Welsh accent, and a south Welsh accent. He wouldn’t have been a Major with that type of accent. In the end I said is this what you want: (breaks into a strong Welsh accent) and This lovely case I got here, I just press a button and out comes a knife!" He said no, no, so I played him as a toffee nosed Englishman ever since.

Prior to being cast had you read any of the Ian Fleming novels?
No. I had seen the cartoon strips in The Daily Express? I remember thinking what a wonderful film this would make. Then finally my agent rang up and said there was a small part going in the new Bond film, do you want to be in it? I said don’t be so bloody silly, and didn’t mean because it was a Bond film, it was just work.

When you finished shooting From Russia With Love, did you have any idea that you were going to be asked to continue the role in succeeding James Bond films?
No, no. Not at all. In fact I was lucky. Peter Burton who played the part in Dr.No was unavailable. There is a real character Boothroyd who is a gun expert from Glasgow.
I haven’t met him unfortunately, but I would like to because he wrote to Ian Fleming while he was writing his books, and he said he liked everything about James Bond except his deplorable taste in weapons. He told Fleming that the Beretta was a useless gun, and only used by a lady and not a very nice lady at that. This is why we have Boothroyd in Dr.No, handing over the Walther PPK. Actually there is a new gun now, but I cant remember what it's called. They had the P99 in the last one, but there is a better gun now. When I played Boothroyd in From Russia With Love, the first line was originally Ask Major Boothroyd to come in, but Terence said we cant use that because he is a different character. So instead he changed it to Ask the equipment officer to come in. Thats how I became Q. I am not listed in the credits as Q until Thunderball.

Can you recall your first meeting with Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli?
With Cubby yes, because Cubby actually came onto the set. He was remarkable man, a fantastic producer, and if it wasn’t for Cubby there wouldn’t be Bond films today. He is the main reason for them. When I arrived he came onto the set to welcome me. Normally one doesn’t meet a producer. Cubby was there, in fact there was a small party, and I was invited to it, which was quite amazing as I was only playing a small part, and that’s when I met Ian Fleming. I went up to ask him if he remembered a friend of mine at Eton with him.

Did you feel that Terence Young or Guy Hamilton had the strongest influence on the creation of the character of Q?
Oh definitely Guy. For Terence it was a straight ordinary part, I was just demonstrating the brief case. At the beginning of Goldfinger I'm working at my desk and Bond comes in. In the rehearsal I got up to greet him. Guy said no, no you take no notice of this man, you don’t particularly like him, he doesn’t treat your gadgets with any respect. I got the script of Goldfinger, and I really must say I found it a very odd script to read you see, because it had all these odd remarks, but as soon as he said I don’t really like Bond it all fell into place. So it was Guy who gave me this idea of this love/hate I have with Bond, because Q is an old man, and even in those days I was much older than Bond, so he didn’t really approve of his way of life at all. Also he didn’t like the way Bond treated his equipment. He treated it with contempt and just as a joke. Over the years, naturally Q has become quite fond of Bond.

During the production of Thunderball you experienced your first location shoot in the Bahamas.
Oh it was fascinating. I was sent out there as wet-weather cover. I went down to the studios at Pinewood to do my one scene. I hung about all day, and Terence was directing a scene with a lot of girls in it, and it took longer than it should of. About 5 o'clock they said you can go home, so I said when am I wanted next, and they said they didn’t know because they were going on location to the Bahamas on Saturday. About a week later, the telephone rang. I was wanted out in the Bahamas. I thought oh good I have got an extra scene. When I got out there I found out that I was wet-weather cover. It was a bit boring, so I used to go out and watch the filming. We had a very fussy little production manager, and if I wanted to go out, such as down to Nassau, I would have to go and see him and ask for his permission. He would look at the weather, and if it wasn't sunny, say okay. After I had been out there about three weeks he told me I was going home, and that they were not going to use Pinders Store, which was my scene. They couldn’t get me on the plane right away, so on the Monday I was a told I would be catching a plane that afternoon. I packed, and then the telephone rang and I was told I wasn’t going. The first assistant Gus Agosti, came into the production office and said although it's a dull day we could do Pinders Store, and one of the other chaps said no we cant because we are sending Desmond home. So Agosti said does Cubby know? They rang up Cubby -- and Cubby had a fit of course because it was much cheaper to keep me out there, because in those days it was First Class fare home, and I stayed out there and came home on the charter. Eventually I did my scene a couple of weeks later in the studio!

Thunderball marked the beginning of Bondmania. Was it around this time the press first started to recognise you as James Bonds gadget man?
No it didn’t start with Thunderball. I had my first publicity in Thunderball, when I was photographed with all the gadgets but no one took any notice. I started to become well known when the films started to be shown on television.

Due to a legal wrangle early in 1964 concerning the rights to Thunderball, producer Kevin McClory became involved with the production of the movie. What was the relationship like between Saltzman, Broccoli, and McClory, who has since spent the last 20 years battling with EON Productions over the rights to future remakes of Thunderball?
There was nothing when we were making Thunderball. Kevin was charming, he’s gone a bit mad now, but there was no friction amongst them at all. I knew them only in the Bahamas, and I knew Kevin quite well. It was thanks to Kevin that Thunderball was my first premiere, which he invited me to. When Thunderball was an enormous success he started talking about what films he was going to make, he was going to make a film about Michael Collins, God knows what he wasn't going to do, but nothing ever happened, then 10 years after he made Never Say Never Again. Then he said he was going to make another one, but I think he has sold out his rights to Sony, I think it's all finished now.

Many argue that Sean Connery's performance in Thunderball was his best. What are you fondest recollections of working with Sean?
He was a highly professional actor. He was extremely good. He was a very good Bond, although he did have the best scripts, he had Flemings stories. He was very nice to work with. A lot of the irritation I showed in those earlier films are because I was not an established character in the films, and one had to know your lines, and I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about, and I had to learn it like a parrot. Sean in character was always fiddling about, so a lot of the irritation was because it was distracting my train of thought. But no, he was very good.

Sean Connery received constant harassment from the media while filming in Japan on You Only Live Twice, and he became quite miserable because of it.
He did have an awful time in Japan. He was at the height of his fame really. They just wouldn’t leave him alone. I was out in Japan for a week and used to go along and watch the filming. But I had only one scene with Sean and that went all beautifully.

Did you have much contact with Ken Wallis, who built and designed the autogyro Little Nellie which you presented to Bond in You Only Live Twice?
I’ve had quite a lot to do with him over recent years. When I was out in Japan he was out there naturally. But its only recently that I’ve got to know him quite well, because he usually presents Little Nellie when we do James Bond fan club conventions together.

Apparently Sean Connery was displeased that Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell appeared in Operation Kid Brother, the Italian spaghetti Bond film, because he felt that it exploited his brother Neil. Why didn't you appear in the film?
I wasn’t asked.

Have you ever seen the film?
No.

1969 marked the arrival of George Lazenby as oo7. Did you meet Lazenby before you began shooting, and what were your first impressions of the guy?
I know about George from what he has told me later. He wasn’t an actor, he was a car salesman. It was jolly bad luck with him really. When he met Cubby and he asked him to do a test, he had never met an actor and didn’t know what a test was. He spent a couple of days looking for actors, to find out what happened. Then some idiot said you're a star now behave like one. He had only read in the papers how stars behaved off the set, such as getting drunk and having a good time. What he didn’t realise was on the set they were highly professional people, they didn’t argue with the director, they learnt their lines, they were on time. Lazenby just behaved extremely badly.

George Lazenby said that if he couldn’t ride his horse he was going, and he walked off the set.

Cubby Broccoli wrote in his autobiography that George was difficult on set by having an arms-length relationship with everyone. In your preparation for your scene with George in Portugal, do you remember any evidence of this behaviour?
I do know exactly what happened. He just walked off the set because he wasn’t allowed to ride a horse. He was fooling around on a horse, and Bernard (Lee) fell down, the owner said he shouldnt ride it, because it was all amongst the extras. The extras were not just normal film extras, they were people like Colonels and Generals who were living in Portugal. They were told that if they wore the right clothes they could all be in the film, and this was about 11 o'clock in the morning. George Lazenby said that if he couldn't ride his horse he was going, and he walked off the set.

How did Cubby get him back on set?
I don't think Cubby was even there. They didn't get him back on set, they had to shoot round him all day. He was telling the director how to direct and just behaving abominably, he behaved badly towards the press, and of course he got bad press coverage. I think he was a good Bond, he's extremely good in the death of his wife at the end.

In 1995 you were the subject of This Is Your Life, when Lois Maxwell recalled amusing incidents in Portugal during the filming of OHMSS. Over the years did you build up a friendly relationship with the regulars such as Lois, Bernard and in later years Geoffrey Keen?
Geoffrey I knew well because I was at the Academy with Geoffrey, and he is my son's Godfather. I haven't seen Geoffrey for ages now, we were great friends, and we still are friends. Bernard I was a great friend of, I never really saw Lois, I saw her a little afterwards, she wasn't really in any scenes with me. I think the only scenes I have with her are the ones in A View To A Kill at Ascot. But Bernard was awfully nice, a bloody good actor too.

Diamonds Are Forever marked the return of Sean Connery in 1971, with main location shooting in Las Vegas. Were your scenes shot entirely at Pinewood, or were you lucky enough to visit Vegas for the shoot?
I went out to Vegas. I was there for a week, I think it was. I remember Guy Hamilton telling me they went to shoot the Strip for odd scenes, and the lighting from the Strip was too strong for the camera. I remember going into Circus Circus with Charles Gray, and there were all these fantastic acrobats flying about, and no one was taking a blind bit of notice, they were all gambling underneath. I remember him turning to me and saying Perhaps the Russians have something! I have been out there quite a few times since doing various things. I stayed in the MGM hotel, and I think that's the hotel in which if you slept in a different hotel room every night it would take you twenty-five years!

 

Follyfoot.
1971 also marked your involvement in the TV series Follyfoot. How did you become involved in this series?
My agent put me up and I went for a test, and I ended up playing the Colonel. I had a lovely time. I loved it; I loved every moment of it. Michael Apted directed me in a couple of the episodes. I remember him from Follyfoot well. Bernard (Lee) also did a scene in the series.

Live And Let Die was your one and only absence from the series since you joined the cast. Why?
I don't know. I was actually written out of Follyfoot to be in it. I think Saltzman was getting fed up with the gadgets.

How did you feel about being cut out of the movie?
Bloody annoyed. I know it was probably only one or two days work, but I was annoyed because I had been cut out of Follyfoot for it, they had written me out of three episodes so I could go and do Bond, and then they decided not to use me.

Have you seen the movie since, and what do you think of it compared to the others in the series?
Yes, I think it's all right, I think its a good film. Everyone has a favourite. I mean a lot of people have written to me and said what a great film A View To A Kill is, which I think is not one of the best, and some think it's among the best which is incredible.

The Man With The Golden Gun was probably the least exciting role for you to play as Q, as the level of gadgets is exceedingly low. Why do you think this was the case?
Were there no gadgets in it?

You didn't give Bond any gadgets.
No, I didn't give him any gadgets did I. I identified the golden bullet.

At Cubby Broccoli's tribute in November 1996, you gave a very eloquent eulogy of the man. What are your personal memories of Cubby and Dana?
I think he was a wonderful man. I was very fond of him. I loved him actually. He couldn't have been kinder, and he couldn't have been nicer. He really was a magnificent producer. I will stick my neck out completely and say that if it wasn't for Cubby Broccoli the Bond films wouldn't be what they are today. Cubby was there all the time, he was always on set. Quite an amazing man.

What are your memories of Harry and Jacqueline Saltzman?
I hardly knew them at all. The only time I got to know Harry's wife, was when I was hanging about on the set of Thunderball. Harry was a nice little man, sort of a bouncy Napoleon you know. Cubby was sort of a really friendly nice character. Saltzman was all right, but I didn't really know him.

The Spy Who Loved Me firmly established Roger Moore as James Bond. It's well known that Roger was very much a practical joker on the set.
Yes, he used to fool around a lot. As I always had trouble remembering my lines he would be inclined on a close-up to hold up a placard with balls written on it. He is a very nice man.

Moonraker was the first Bond film not to be solely based at Pinewood?
Yes, I went to France and Italy. I was going to South America, but unfortunately the scene I was to do in Rio they did in Italy instead. They were looking for a monastery, but they couldn't find one in South America where they were going, so the one you see in the film is in fact in Italy.

Before For Your Eyes Only went into production you lost one of your co-stars, Bernard Lee.
He died during For Your Eyes Only. He came down, but he was very ill, they brought him down to Pinewood but he just couldn't do it, so James Villiers took over.

Octopussy introduced the audience to Q's assistant Smithers (Jeremy Bulloch). Was his character supposed to feature in succeeding Bond films?
No, no. I don't think so. Smithers was really only an extra in a way. He was an awfully nice chap, and I don't know why he hasn't been in the films since.

Octopussy marked your largest role as Q up to that point in the series. Did you have the opportunity to visit India for this shoot, or were your scenes shot entirely at Pinewood?
Entirely at Pinewood. The scene of me in India is a double, just a technician.

What was the filming of the hot air balloon sequence like with Roger, and all the beauties that surround Q in the Octopussy?
It was practically the only time I ever met any Bond girls. They were great fun, and I got to know them quite well as I did a promotional tour with them. We went to Australia. I also went to America twice with two of them, Mary Stavin, and I can't remember who the other one was. We did the balloon sequence very near Christmas, something went wrong and Roger had to go because he was catching his plane to leave.

During the production of Octopussy you were also faced with a rival Bond film, Never Say Never Again. Were you ever asked to appear in the film, and what did you think of Alec McCowen's portrayal of Q in this movie?
No, I wasn't asked to be in it. I think he was very funny, he made it totally different to me.

With the fresh approach that was taken with Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, regular Lois Maxwell was dropped from the cast in favour of a younger Miss Moneypenny. At this time did you feel your future in the Bond series was under any threat?
I always have. I'm much too old. I've always said I'm much too old for the part but it just goes on.

Licence To Kill I think was a very good film, but what the Americans said is quite true, it wasn't a Bond film.
It lost all its fantasy.

What kind of relationship did you have with Timothy Dalton, how did you find him to work with?
Very good. He's a stage actor. The problem why he was not so successful was because he made him a real person. Licence To Kill I think was a very good film, but what the Americans said is quite true, it wasn't a Bond film. It lost all its fantasy, and Timothy made him into a real character.

Your role in Licence To Kill was greeted tremendously by James Bond fans. Whose idea was it to give Q such as a major role in this film?
I haven't a clue, perhaps the writers.

How long were you hired for when you worked on Licence To Kill, and what was it like shooting in Mexico?
It was just very nice to be out in Mexico. I was out there for a month, then I came back for a month, then I was out there for a couple of weeks. When I finished filming I hired a car and drove up thorough America. It was very pleasant.

Did your wife go with you to Mexico?
Yes she did. Then she went on tour with me to Australia.

Licence To Kill marked the beginning of a six year gap, due to yet another legal wrangle. Did you still have regular contact with Barbara Broccoli, Michael Wilson and EON during this period?
Well yes. I saw Cubby once or twice. I didn't see Barbara because I don't think she was in England, and I don't think Michael was either. But when Cubby came over I saw him.
I went to EON Productions' office in London to see the publicity people.

When James Bond eventually returned in GoldenEye, things had changed dramatically. Bond, M, Moneypenny, and the director had changed. Were you expecting to be asked to reprise your role as Q, and at what stage of the pre-production did you sign to return?
I never sign anything. Barbara phoned up and said would I like to go up to Leavesden to meet the director Martin Campbell. So I went up there to meet him.

In the last three films with Pierce Brosnan, each was directed by a different director. Do they have any input into how you should play Q, or do they leave it up to you, as you know the character best?
No not really, one just plays him, it depends very much on the scriptwriter.

It's been reported that Tomorrow Never Dies had a troubled production.
I wasn't there very long, only three days.
Yes there was a certain amount of friction that went on. I think it was a difficult production because it had to be out by Christmas. I liked the director, as far I was concerned he was very good. I usually have to have those damn idiot boards up, to remember certain things, but he wouldn't let me use them. I said all right, but it's going to take a long time, I'm getting old and I can't remember my lines. As a director he was good.
Tomorrow Never Dies must rate as one of your best performances as Q.
Really. The beginning of the scene was shot in Hamburg why, God knows, but it was very nice. The rest was Stanstead.

And now we come to Bond Number 19, The World Is Not Enough. Can we expect to see you in a scene similar to GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies?
I don't know, I haven't had the script yet. I'm not doing anything until June. I must get onto them actually and find out.

The media has reported that The World Is Not Enough will be your last Bond film, and the character of R is to replace you. What do you have to say in response to these rumours?
Well its absolute nonsense. I think it most probably started after GoldenEye, when I said you better find me an assistant as I can't go on. I'm quite happy to go on, but I gave them an idea, and no one took any notice of it. This time a friend of mine, who runs the publicity, said there had been reports, that I was dead. Where they got it from I don't know. In this film there may be an explosion, I'm not sure, I haven't seen a script, but there might be a funeral. As everyone was there apart from me, they probably thought it was my funeral. Amanda Schofield from EON's publicity office rang up The Express, and they wouldn't believe her. I'm going to go on playing Q as long as the producers want me and the almighty doesn't.

Are you flattered that a star of the magnitude of John Cleese is being groomed to replace you?
Yes I'm very flattered.

Do you share a scene with Cleese, or does his character meet up with Bond later in the story?
While I obviously do, we must have a scene together. I don't know who's written it, Feirstein I think.

I think Bruce Feirstein has written the latest draft, and the other writers Purvis and Wade wrote the first draft, and now Feirstein has been brought in to tidy it up.
Feirstein said he wasn't, I know.

If you do decide to continue, would you ever like to see Q in a larger role similar to Licence To Kill?
Good God yes! I've been pestering them to do it, but they probably think I'm too old.

Can you recall any scenes which were filmed that you thought were excellent, but later discovered ended up on the cutting room floor?
Well in Thunderball, there are scenes of me before and after the take edited in, I'm not acting at all. Lots of bits have been cut. There was a whole chunk cut out of The Living Daylights, where I'm talking about getting something ready for Buckingham Palace. Something I did like, and it's a pity that it was cut, was when I sit on the sofa, that I think they cut too quickly. I originally sat down and folded my arms, with a great deal of satisfaction, then I leant back. What happened was I sat down and they cut, they didn't show my satisfaction. Masses of bits were taken out of Licence To Kill, things are being re-written all the time right up to the end.

When do you see the final print of the film? A private screening with the producers? At the premiere?
It all depends. Sometimes I see the rough cut, if I happen to be around. I remember seeing one of them, I can't remember which one, I thought what a boring film, it hadn't got any music or anything. Of course when you see it with all the music and sound effects, it makes it so much different.

In recent years you have become very active in the worldwide promotion of the Bond films. Has this given you an insight into the politics involved in making the Bond films?
Not really. But I can't understand why MGM don't re-issue the Bond films. I keep on at them.

You mean like the Star Wars films?
Yes. I keep plugging it, because I mean people of your age have never seen Sean Connery as James Bond on the big screen. It makes a terrific difference. I went up to a show in Bradford where they showed all of Sean's pictures. Even I'd forgotten the difference. In Goldfinger when they have dinner at the bank of England, the set is unbelievable, you just can't see it on TV.

What's the daftest promotional stunt you've ever been asked to do?
Oh I turned down one. They wanted me to turn up at the premiere of For Your Eyes Only in that little Citroen. I said Q is not a comedy character. That is the only one I have turned down.

Do you enjoy the promotion of the films as much as you do making them?
Love it. Who wouldn't? I'm treated like a star. I have such a small part. I'm not paid star salary or anything like that. I mix with people I go on the trains and buses, and people talk to me about the Bond films. Abroad it's unbelievable. For the last one we were in Norway for the premiere. They showed it on an enormous screen in Oslo. All the guests were transported from the cinema to the main hotel for the party. They were transported by army trucks with the army running along by the side, with a helicopter overhead, and the Police as outriders. I thought this was fantastic and I asked Why? All the streets were closed. They said the King is very keen on Bond, so he said you can use the army. All the premieres in Scandinavia were fantastic. I think the thing that struck me most about Bond was, before GoldenEye they had a pre-shoot party at Leavesden to introduce Pierce.

 

It was six years after the last Bond, and I haven't seen so many journalists before. It was quite amazing.
I was reading in the paper only the other day, they were asking the BBC if the removal of the News at Ten had many any difference. They said they can't compete with the Bond films. I was talking to someone in the production office. They go to all the previews, God knows how many times they see it, but when the damn thing goes on TV they still watch it!

What questions do you get asked most frequently?
Who is the best Bond.

If the screenwriters ever kill off Q how would you like to see your demise written?
Oh I think he would have to be blown up!

How did it feel to have your career recognised on This Is Your Life?
It was a great thrill. I was at a press conference, we were all there and we were just finishing. One minute I was going out to dinner with Amanda Schofield, the next I was suddenly whisked off to the TV studios.

How has your family reacted to your fame, and what do they think of you still working at the age of 85?
84, I'll be 85 this year. I think they quite enjoy it, I think my grandsons enjoy it. I think my sons find it quite nice to have me in the background.