He was originally a teacher after graduating from Durham University,
and he spent much of his career working in France and Leeds. He spoke
French fluently and with only a barely-detectable English accent, which
helped him become a good friend of French singer
Georges Brassens whose style of
singing greatly influenced his own. He became a well known face to the
general public after a number of guest spots on UK television shows -
in particular
The David Frost Show (1969),
On the Braden Beat (1962) with
Bernard Braden, and
That's Life! (1973) with
Esther Rantzen.
He had three sons with his wife Sheila: Bill, Sam and Tom. He was
declared bankrupt in 2000.