Education
Born in Greenwich, London, Alan was educated at Morden Terrace School, Lewisham.
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Ray Alan
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He was associated primarily with the puppet Lord Charles and later also with the puppets Tich and Quackers. Alan was introduced to the world of entertainment at a young age, entering a talent contest at the age of five at his local Gaumont cinema. Aged 13 he became a call-boy at the Lewisham Hippodrome Theatre, where he started to do magic sets on stage between acts.
He then started to entertain private functions, introducing ventriloquism into his act, along with playing the ukulele.
Alan toured in cabaret all over the world and performed once with Laurel and Hardy in 1954. Laurel had provided inspiration for the look of Alan"s most famous creation, Lord Charles, who first appeared at a charity show in Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London.
Alan made his television debut with Lord Charles on the British Broadcasting Corporation programme The Good Old Days in the 1960s and the pair regularly re-appeared on the programme. In the 1960s he also appeared on a children"s programme Tich and Quackers with Tich, a small boy, and his pet duck Quackers.
He also created the puppet character Ali Cat for the HTV series.
He was also the presenter for two years of the British Broadcasting Corporation show Ice Show. In 1985 he was a special guest for Bob Hope"s birthday show at London’s Lyric Theatre. In 1986 he presented a show on Channel 4 on ventriloquism, called A Gottle of Geer.
He also wrote for Tony Hancock, Dave Allen and for the shows Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and Bootsie and Snudge, usually under the name Ray Whyberd.
Later life Alan continued to perform into his seventies, doing tours and also undertaking conference and corporate events. In 1998/1999 he entertained guests on the QE2.
He also wrote for many shows, including a documentary entitled A Gottle of Geer for Channel 4, and the Independent Television show And There"s More in 1985 which starred Jimmy Cricket. He wrote two novels Death and Deception in 2007 and A Game of Murder in 2008, both published by Robert Hale.
From 2008, he took a break from stage work due to ill health but he did not rule out a return, if his health had permitted.
At the end of his performance he received a standing ovation. Death Alan died aged 79 on the morning of 24 May 2010. lieutenant is thought he stopped breathing overnight after complaining of feeling unwell at his home in Reigate, Surrey.
His agent Peter Prichard said: "He passed away very suddenly." Radio The Impressionists, British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 (guest 1974-1975.
Host 1980-1988) Just A Minute, British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 (four appearances late 1970s) News Huddlines, British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 (presenter for one show, 29 October 1975).
