Legendary Leeds comic Barry Cryer has OBE has sadly passed away, aged 86.
The Yorkshire writer and comedian, best known for his work wtih Morecambe and Wise, David Frost and The Two Ronnies, had also been a fixture on the panel of BBC Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue since it began in 1972.
The circumstances surrounding his death are currently not known, including the cause.
Throughout his career, he worked with icons like Bruce Forsyth, Bob Hope, Spike Milligan, and the aforementioned Two Ronnies, and wrote a number of episodes for Doctor in the House, the 1969 TV comedy starring Simon Cuff and Barry Evans.
Born in Leeds and educated at the local grammar school, he then went on to continue his studies here - reading English Literature at the University of Leeds.
Having appeared in the University revue, he was then offered a week's work at the Leeds Cities Varieites theatre. At the time, the theatre was the home of iconic show The Good Old Days, which ran for 30 years from 1953 to 1983 - becoming the longest-running TV show of all time.
After learning his first-year results, however, Cryer left Leeds and university life for London -where he began his career at London’s Windmill Theatre after making an impression on Vivian Van Damm.
A short stint as an actor at the theatre ended rather promptly after several hospitalisations, caused by eczema, led to Cryer being released from his contract - at which point he decided to focus his attentions on writing over performing.
He went on to become a regular collaborator with David Frost, writing for The Frost Report from 1966 and 1967, a move that cemented him as a name to watch in the world of writing.
However, despite being a recognised talent, he mostly preferred to write in partnership and collaborated regularly with John Junkin. Together, the pair wrote two Christmas specials for The Morecambe and Wise Show, which aired in 1972 and 1976.
He also acted as a host on the ITV comedy panel show Jokers Wild between 1969 and 1974, and even had a hit song in Finland - with a rendition of Sheb Wooley’s 1958 novelty song Purple People Eater taking the number one spot in the charts the same year.
He married his wife Theresa in 1962 and is survived by four children - one of whom he launched a WW2 podcast called Now, Where Were We? with, shortly prior to his death.
As the news has broken, there has been an outpouring of emotion from friends, family and fans, with famous names including Stephen Fry, Piers Morgan, Jon Holmes and Richard Herring all taking to social media to pay tribute to the great man, his life and his work.
Richard Herring wrote: "Losing Barry Cryer is like losing a member of the family. Utterly gutted that I’ve had my last birthday joke.
"He was one of my absolute comedy heroes and kept working right to the fucking end. A life well lived and a connection to every great comedian of the last 60 years. RIP."
He later tweeted, "He made me laugh so much that I suppose it's only fitting he should finally make me cry."
Stephen Fry said: "Such sad news, one of the absolute greats of British comedy, Barry Cryer, is no more. A glorious, gorgeous, hilarious and gifted writer and performer who straddled all the comic traditions. Universally beloved … farewell, Baz."
Regional leaders have confirmed a rail project in the North of England with first improvements taking place in Yorkshire.
The long-awaited Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project will see a whopping £45 billion worth of upgrades.
The first phase will see the construction of a new station in Bradford followed by upgrades in Leeds, York and Sheffield.
The electrification of lines between Sheffield and Leeds, Leeds and York and Leeds and Bradford will be the first priority and is expected to be completed in the 2030s.
The scheme has been described as "a once in a generation commitment to improving transport across the North".
Announcing the scheme, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I spent three happy years in Leeds as a university student, a vibrant city I was proud to call home, but I've seen first-hand what underinvestment and empty pledges do to cities across the North.
"This government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."
"This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt. That's why this government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."
Stage two of the plan will include upgrades around Manchester, with the final stage delivering a new railway between Bradford and Huddersfield that wouldn't be delivered until the 2040s.
In a combined statement, the regional mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire said: "The long-term commitment will transform Yorkshire's transport network and deliver improved links across our region and on to Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
"It'll mean we can deliver quicker, more reliable journeys, opening up more choice around work, skills and opportunity for everyone across Yorkshire."
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you're still struggling to come up with a New Year's resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you're at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third party app Recycle at Boots uses a Scan2Recycle system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can't usually be recycled at home such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Images: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you've followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you're also an eco-warrior.
There's even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs which gives customers 100 Advantage Points, when you spend £5 in-store - This is brill.
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Leeds Trinity - 1 Bond Street, LS1 5EY
Leeds Kirkstall - Savins Mill Way, LS5 3RP
White Rose Shopping Centre - Lower Level, Leeds, LS11 8LL
Thorpe Park - Unit 3 The Springs, LS15 8GG
Birstall Retail Park - Batley, West Yorkshire, WF7417 9DT
If you're up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
The Hoot -
27th January 2022 
