I remember seeing him as the boom operator in his first TV stint, and finding him funny. Then at the other end of his career, we saw him pretty much every year for the last 4 or 5 years at the local arts centre. They were more affable, rambling, digressive chats than traditional 'sets', but you could periodically see where he was getting back on script and on his way to a set piece. Most of the material was political in nature, but was softened by his self-deprecation. And he was very open, inviting anyone in the audience who fancied it to join him at the bar after the performance. I'm not usually affected by celebrity deaths, but I'll miss him.