Very few actors – let alone comedians – are Ronnie Corbett with a statue of Ronnie Barker (Pic:PA)honoured with a bronze statue as a legacy.

Ronnie Barker, who was a firm household favourite, is one such man who has been immortalised this way, except I’m not too sure about the likeness.

Like most great men, he has a Cambridge connection. I discovered it when I was sent out as a local reporter by my news editor to work off-diary, with clear instructions not to come back without any stories. My patch included the village of Lode and many of my stories were sourced from locals in the pub, schoolteachers, councillors, and the vicar etc. Those were the days!!!

During one such working visit to the pub in Lode, the landlord proudly told me about their famous customer Ronnie Barker, and how he would call in for a pint with the locals when visiting his mother who lived down the road.

I naturally hot-footed it to his mother’s house and instantly knew I had found the right place as she was his double, or he was her double. What a pity she never joined him for one of his sketches, it would have been hilarious. She was a stout old-fashioned lady with a double or triple chin, grey curly hair and they looked identical, especially as he had grey hair then. I remember thinking they looked more like brother and sister than mother and son. A large black and white photo of him sat firmly on top of the TV in the sitting room, and I felt he was there watching us, listening in to every word. I believe he had a sister who lived nearby too. She was a sweet old lady and very proud of her famous son, but work commitments meant he wasn’t able to visit frequently.

I was sorry not to get to meet Ronnie in person, but I felt I had met the next best thing when I shared a cuppa with his mum. And the Cambridge News was thrilled with the story as they had no idea about his local connection.