Travers Reid, without whom there would have been no Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in Children, sadly died last week. He it was who persuaded me, after I’d played a stammerer in A Fish Called Wanda, to join him in setting up a centre specifically for children with stammering problems. That was back in the early 1990’s. Since then it’s gone from strength to strength and remains the charity I’m most proud of supporting.

Travers, a stammerer himself was (as you can tell from the photo) always terrific fun to be with. He had a twinkle in his eye and a great sense of humour. He remained a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of the Centre and its continued success is one of his great legacies.