Now then, now then, now then.

lt saddened me to hear Jimmy Savile has died. l met him on a few occasions as he was good friends with another friend of mine Jimmy Corrigan ... otherwise known as Lord Corrigan. This in itself was an in-joke that he ran throughout his life as his full name was James Lord Corrigan.

Both Jimmys were millionaires but it mattered not to either of them if you were rich or didn't have 2 pennies to rub together ... they treat you no different. lf they liked you, they liked you and that was it. Both were eccentric to the extreme, both grew up around Leeds and both were showmen. They also lived life to the full but also donated many thousands of pounds to charity albeit anonymously.

There are many stories l could tell you about Jimmy Corrigan although some l can't here. Jimmy Corrigan had the amusement complex Coney Island in Scarborough and he ran it as he ran his life ... having fun. He was once in a battle with his competitor over all things ...bingo. One would out do the other time after time until Jimmy Corrigan decided to go the whole hog ... he made top prize a car and ran for free just for the hell of it!

Another time he had a new Mercedes delivered and was set to pay cash. The smiling salesman went up to Jimmy's office to get the payment  but his smile disappeared as he saw the payment was in loads of £500 bags of £1 coins. The salesman told Jimmy he couldn't accept it so Jimmy told him to take the car back but to ring his boss and tell him what he was doing. This the salesman did and  after his boss had finished with him, apologised to Jimmy and then took the money. lt took quite a few trips back and forth to get it all and load it in the salesman's car.

Jimmy did the same thing with the lnland Revenue, who also refused to take the cash. Jimmy then contacted the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask why the coin of the realm was no good. The Inland Revenue accepted the cash.

Both Jimmys were also smokers and it's a shame that Jimmy Corrigan died in 2000 as he would've relished fighting the smoking ban! It would've given him great pleasure to do so. Believe me he would've taken it on with relish. Sadly it was not to be and no-one with the means and the will were around to step up to the mark ... in the whole of the UK to my knowledge!

The 2 Jimmys are now gone ... and the world is a poorer place for it.