article: "Tim Brooke-Taylor speaks about being awarded an OBE"
21/06/2011 14:57 GMT

Posted by lisa

This article appears on the Maidenhead Advertiser's website at http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/article-21908-tim-brooke-taylor-speaks-about-being-awarded-an-obe/:


Tim Brooke-Taylor speaks about being awarded an OBE

11:50am Tue 21st Jun 11:: written by Francis Batt


Funny man Tim Brooke-Taylor of Cookham is celebrating after being awarded an OBE in the Queen's birthday honours list.

The star of cult TV show The Goodies is still a regular on radio's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

He said he found himself keeping a big secret from an old friend when he learned he had been awarded the OBE. The 70-year-old has worked with his old Cambridge Footlights pal Graeme Garden for almost 50 years. They made up two thirds of television's long running Goodies show with Bill Oddie.

Graeme received notice that he had been awarded an OBE at exactly the same time as Tim. But Tim said: "The trouble was neither of us knew whether or not the other had got one, so we didn't dare speak to each other in case.

"I only found out he had got one too when a newspaper asked me 'how do you feel about Graeme'? "

Neither needed to worry about the third member of the Goodies team Bill Oddie - he got his OBE in 2003, having forged a new career as a celebrated naturalogist whose television shows have introduced the nation to the joys of bird watching.

Tim is married to Christine and they have two sons Ben and Edward.

Tim is president of the Thames Valley Adventure Playground (TVAP) and acts as quiz master at the annual Thames Valley Pub Quiz Championship organised by the Maidenhead Thames Rotary Club.