The top picture is Basildon Bond – but the air ace was called Stirling Boggles…

Tall, twinkly-eyed, Chester-born comedian and impressionist who entered showbiz as a member of the Black Abbots cabaret group. His TV breaks came from appearances in who do you do?, The Comedians and Bruce Forsythes Big Night and led to a series he shared with its named star, Freddie Starr’s Variety Madhouse. With Starr’s departure, the show became Russ Abbot’s Madhouse in 1980 (sometimes Saturday Madhouse) and allowed Abbot to begin introducing the farcical creations for which he became famous, such as inept superhero Cooperman (an exaggerated impersonation of Tommy Cooper), detective Barratt Holmes, air ace Boggles, Irish crooner Val Hooligan, rock’n'roller Vince Prince, secret agent Basildon Bond, and C. U. Jimmy, the indecipherable, kilted Scotsman.

Boggles wore a flying jacket, riding breeches and silk scarf, the breeches and scarf were both oversize and had wire frames inside, so the breeches stuck out at 90 degrees and the scarf was in the same position as when flying a plane.

Tacky and childish, but in 1980 I was both of those…. (strange how life has changed me so little…)