Normandy

As it was

This is awkward, I'm too late and the man is dead. It was reported to universal sadness that the multi-talented Humphrey Lyttelton passed away recently. I say multi-talented but it is fair to reflect that most people would have known him as either a broadcaster or jazz musician, especially the latter owing to his BBC Radio 4 programme, 'The Best of Jazz'. First there was the fact he had been doing this programme for such a very long time, it was an institution. Then the fact that he was an extreme authority on the music he played, having performed with many of the great and good. Then there was the voice, his voice was not posh but cultured and natural and such things are getting rare on the BBC. Then there was his attitude, he was generally very even tempered but did have the odd go about Stan Kenton which was actually very funny.