Johnny Speight

Arthur Haynes was the most popular comedian in Britain from the late 1950s. His hit TV sketch show ran for 15 series, winning him the Variety Club Award as ITV Personality of 1961, and the following year it was adapted for BBC Radio. Included here are a collection of the best surviving radio episodes, featuring the classic comic battles between Haynes and his long-suffering straight man, Nicholas Parsons. In these fun-filled sketches, lead-swinging Arthur bothers his GP, a dodgy decorator torments a house-proud customer, a dubious visitor takes advantage of Vicar Parsons' charity, and more... There are also frequent appearances from Arthur's most famous and best-loved character, truculent tramp Hobo Haynes, who delights in recalling how he spent the war 'up to me neck in muck and bullets'.