Andrew Timothy (30 November 1912 – 9 December 1990) was an Anglican priest and

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

announcer, who is known for being the original announcer of the comedy series ''

The Goon Show ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September 19 ...

''. His son is the Welsh actor

Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...

Early life and education

Son of Rev. Thomas Evan Timothy, of Llangeitho, Carmarthenshire, Wales, rector of

Corwen Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. Historically, Corwen is part of the county of Merionethshire. Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llang ...

, he was educated at

Marlborough College ( 1 Corinthians 3:6: God gives the increase) , established = , type = Public SchoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = Church of England , president = Nicholas Holtam , head_label = Master , head = Louise ...

, and followed his father into a church career.

BBC career

Timothy announced for the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BB ...

from 1947 to 1959, becoming head of presentation in the 1950s. Rising to become the BBC's Chief Announcer by 1964. Later he became one of the first BBC television newsreaders (albeit out-of-vision) from July to September 1954.

''The Goon Show''

Timothy announced the show from its inception in 1951, but left part-way through the fourth series in 1953 "fearing for his sanity" and was replaced by

Wallace Greenslade Wallace Frederick Powers Greenslade (1 July 1912 – 21 April 1961), also known as Bill Greenslade, was a BBC radio announcer and News presenter, newsreader. He is best remembered for being the announcer—and frequently the Double act, straight ...

, who remained on the show until it ended in 1960. However, when ''The Last Goon Show of All'' was produced in 1972 Greenslade had died, and so Timothy came back to announce the special reunion show. When a remake of ''The Goon Show'' (called ''Goon Again'') was made in 2001, it was announced by Timothy's son

Christopher Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), " Christ" or " Anointed", and φέρ� ...

Personal life

Timothy was married three times; he and his first wife, (Gwladys) Marian (née Hailstone) were divorced by 1946. Their son, actor

, most notably played the vet

James Herriot James Alfred Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and author. Born in Sunderland, Wight graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939, returning to En ...

in the BBC TV series '' All Creatures Great and Small''. His second wife was Florence Watkins. In 1970, Timothy married thirdly Brigid Ruth Patricia, daughter of Brian Dodwell Crichton, MD, of Carrowgarry, Beltra,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local au ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

; the Crichtons were Irish gentry. Timothy lived at Inglenook, Stonards Brow, Shamley Green, Surrey.Burke's Irish Family Records, ed. Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1976, p. 290 Whilst resident at a nursing home, he died in December 1990 at the age of 78.

References

1912 births 1990 deaths Radio and television announcers The Goon Show {{UK-radio-bio-stub