Thank you, Charles Clews

Today was a sad day for Malta, for one of the best loved personalities ever to have graced our nation, Charles Clews, has passed away at the age of 89.

Charles Clews represents a significant part of my childhood. We used to eagerly await the Saturday afternoon children's programme on Rediffusion (the early seventies' cable radio) presented by his gang, including Johnny Navarro, who used to play the naughty boy Fredu Frendo Sghendo, Vitorin Galea (Fredu's mother) and Armando Urso, all of whom have now left the realm of the living. Charles Clews was their maestro, and the last surviving member. He used present this programme and also play the part of Fredu's uncle, Mr Brown, an English or American man who spoke Maltese in a comical English accent, and got all the genders wrong. Then they would play out a jokes competition, sent in by listeners. It was all innocent children's humour, but on the rare occasions that I listen to a recording, I always find them so funny! A significant part of my childhood has today died with Charles Clews.

The only occasion that I saw him perform live was at a drama play at the Catholic Institute in Floriana, some time in the eighties. I think it was his general humourous attitude that I found so endearing. When he spoke, his very tone, even without cracking any joke, would make me want to laugh. The last funny story I heard him relate was on the TV show Xarabank, about a lady who wanted to show off a diamond ring she had just acquired. She was waving her fingers all over her companions' faces to make them notice the ring, but no one mentioned anything. In desperation, she had to tell them: "Oh dear, it's so hot in here, I'll have to take off my diamond ring to cool down a little bit!" You would of course need to listen to the master telling the story...

I do hope that somewhere there are lots of clips and recordings of this Maltese comic genius. Please, whoever has them archived (Television Malta? Public Broadcasting Services? Any other media company? Private recordings?) do make them available to the Maltese public. They are priceless gems.

Thank you, Charles Clews, for so many happy, funny moments. The world has been, and is, a better place thanks to you.