First Steps

BY JOHN ALLAN, OXFORD, ENGLAND
I first met Tony in 1954 when we were both doing military service with the British Army in Austria. Tony was in the Signal Corps and had got himself a job with the British Forces Radio Broadcasting Network as an announcer and a producer-director of feature programmes, drama, readings, quizzes and the like. He encouraged me to take part in some of these and I got to know him well. I found this photo of Tony taken at the final of an inter-regimental General Knowledge Quiz in Klagenfurt in December 1954 (I am the dim figure at the back). Even in those early years he was marvelous at getting the best out of all sorts of people and was always kind, but honest, about their performances, making it clear, for example, in the nicest possible way that I should stay well off stage and stick to doing sound effects. Although our paths diverged widely afterwards, we stayed in touch and met from time to time. He was one of my oldest friends and always a most entertaining and inspiring companion. I greatly appreciate this chance to join in paying affectionate and admiring tribute to Tony. How tragic it is that he should have succumbed to such a terrible wasting illness and been taken from us far too soon.