London: Fourth Estate, 2004

8vo, pp. 369. Original black boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper. Maroon endpapers. A fine copy in a very near fine dustwrapper with just the lightest of wear to head of spine.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO RAY GALTON: 'For Ray, With respect, admiration and gratitude, Graham McCann'.

With his writing partner Alan Simpson, Ray Galton [1930-2018] produced two of the funniest and most influential British sitcoms ever: Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son. Galton's association with Frankie Howerd began in the early 1950s as early members of the writers' co-operative Associated London Scripts. Galton and Simpson first wrote for Howerd in 1953, when pressure of work saw Eric Sykes hand over the reins of The Frankie Howerd Show to the fledgling writers. They wrote regularly for him for the next twenty years.

Ray Galton was an important contributor to the book, and receives a printed acknowledgement in its preliminaries. The handwritten one McCann added to the title page of this presentation copy is an excellent association.