Remember The Great Egg Race growing up as a kid in the 80s. Made science seem fun and interesting.
(I work as a scientist now. It’s shit. But that’s my problem.)
He was one of the nice guys. RIP.
Remember The Great Egg Race growing up as a kid in the 80s. Made science seem fun and interesting.
(I work as a scientist now. It’s shit. But that’s my problem.)
He was one of the nice guys. RIP.
A friend of mine worked with him for a while and posted the following on her Facebook:
In a world of vacuous celebrity and the fawning worship of empty vessels… we’ve lost one of the eccentric TV greats. An intellectual titan for sure, but a wonderful, mischievous, avuncular, inspirational and twinkly man too. Always good-natured, fascinating, and impossible not to adore.
How could you not love his ridiculous comedy accent, unchanged despite decades of living in England? He was kindness personified, generous to a fault and would go to any ends to create elaborate practical jokes. At one of the universities he worked in, he hired a large stuffed grizzly, which he placed in the second half of a corridor’s dog leg. In the first half, he made a sign saying: ‘BEAR TO THE LEFT’.
For a section of one of his programmes, it was decided he should be dressed as a B-Movie alien and filmed at the controls of a ‘spaceship’ (actually the largely derelict interior of Battersea Power Station)… a couple of hours in make-up at Telly Centre and he was transformed. Determined to travel to Battersea on public transport in full costume, the terrified spoilsport of a producer wrestled him into a taxi… of course he spent the whole journey watching for other drivers and pedestrians to notice his startling appearance. He was a joy.
Condolences to the family and everyone who knew and loved him, I can’t begin to imagine the agonising grief of losing such a unique and warm member of your family - such a special man. Thank you for the fun x
That’s great!
He was a smidge before a time that allows me to have a fully formed memory of him*, but I like what I recall and that anecdote reinforces it. A sad loss.
(*Johnny Ball would be first in my list of infectiously enthusiastic famous scientists. Both great, though.)
Well that’s just fucking lovely
He was a good egg.