If you didn't know his age, you'd assume from his manner that he was a rather portly fifty or sixty-year-old. In his eccentric interviews with the North American Charles Richardson on CD1 of this collection, Richardson remarks more than once on Hoffnung's weight and diet. It is regrettable that Hoffnung, who died of a stroke, didn't take more notice of this warning.

The Oxford Union speech has long assumed classic status. I can remember in the 1970s my Dad playing me a recording of the speech on his reel-to-reel tape machine. His material wasn't entirely original -- versions of the bricklayer's tale have been known since the 1920s. But Hoffnung clearly had a fantastic, endearing rapport with his audience, who didn't seem to care that the stories he included in that speech had nothing to do with the motion that was being debated. The full speech is included in CD2, and in the last two minutes, Hoffnung brings his talk back to the matter that he was supposed to be debating -- giving a very earnest, personal view.

I have to say that, on the evidence of the rest of these two CDs, Hoffnung was overrated as a radio humorist. CD1 consists of 12 interviews with Charles Richardson which were broadcast by the BBC. The BBC must have been desperate for fillers in the 1950s! The sleeve-notes proudly declare that the only preparation for each interview was a quick chat in a nearby coffee shop, and my goodness, it sounds like it. Much of the time, Richardson is funnier than the bombastic Hoffnung. Now I understand why none of today's comics cites Hoffnung as a major influence. Roll on 'The Goons', 'Beyond the Fringe', and even the 'Carry On' series!