Harry Carpenter

Harry Carpenter the iconic BBC sports commentator who died this week aged 84 was a fellow South Londoner, born in South Norwood, who gave up some of his time back in the 1980s to give a talk to a packed classroom at my school. Most of those present either wanted to see a legend or to be sports commentators. Or both.

He was much parodied on TV at the time and I remember that we had to constrain ourselves from doing his trademark grin at each other. He sat with a box of his index cards on the table in front of him and taught us the importance of preparation.

He wouldn't have needed a computer because over the years he'd digested so many of the index cards that he'd developed the RAM and processing power of a computer anyway. And the glitches just made it more interesting.

An ITV crew tried to interview Frank Bruno once and he said, "You're not Harry. I want Harry. Where's Harry?"

Thanks Harry, so long.