LAST week Ken Dodd staged two special shows as a bit of a present to the city in its Capital of Culture year. He’d decided to do something a bit different and make the gigs “a celebration of Liverpool’s laughter makers” – setting himself up in the small concert room of St George’s Hall and paying tribute to some of his Scouse comedy heroes.

It was a great idea, I thought, not only the chance to see Doddy in action (and not have to be there til the wee small hours) but to learn some comedy ‘istory.

While the first half was given over to the Squire of Knotty Ash doing his act and cracking some jokes that were, let’s make no bones, so ancient they should be frikkin’ illegal, when he got into his stride after a couple of jolly old school music hall numbers it was great fun.

The second half, after a bit of free cake in the main hall (cheers, Doddy), took the form of more of an informal lecture and he played clips of his four Liverpudlian “gagfathers”, and this is the bit I wanted to see.

I never knew Arthur Askey was from Toxteth, or that his other favourite other comedians from the region (not that you’d know, with no trace of an accent remaining) – Ted Ray, Robb Wilton and Tommy Handley influenced everyone from The Goons to Les Dawson to Python, but it’s quite a clear enough observation when you get a little taste of it.

Before his death in 1957, Evertonian Robb Wilton was one of the most revered comic actors of his day – here’s a classic clip:

Tommy Handley, another Toxteth lad, was famed for his radio show ITMA (It’s That Man Again). Proving that laughing at inept politicians has never been out of style, here’s a clip that I really like, from a spin off 1941 film in which he plays the Minister of Aggrivation and Mysteries in the Office of Twerps at Foaming-at-the-Mouth Council:

Finally, and just because I've been on YouTube too long, here’s an obligatory clip of Doddy titting about on a pedestrian crossing, bless him:

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