I am sad to report that the veteran sitcom writer Vince Powell recently passed away aged 80.

During his long career Powell wrote, co-wrote and/or created numerous TV sitcoms including: George and the Dragon, For the Love of Ada, Bless this House, Love Thy Neighbour & Nearest and Dearest.

Vince was also the first writer to pen material for the much-loved comedy double act, Morecambe & Wise.

I first met Powell in the bar at Teddington Studios in July 1999. Teddington Studios was the one-time headquarters of Thames Television, who Vince worked extensively for as a writer and a comedy consultant during their London franchise-holding days.

Arriving in the bar carrying a very large sand-coloured sports bag, Powell spotted me and quipped: 'Did you travel down here in the bag?'

We chatted throughout the afternoon and Vince kindly agreed to appear in my regular TV chat show which I was making for a Leicester cable TV channel at the time.

Indeed, I was also fortunate enough to include the veteran TV producer & director Dennis Kirkland (a mutual friend) as a guest in the same edition of the show that Powell appeared on.

The recording day was very memorable and it saddens me that both guys are no-longer with us. They were both real legends. Without them both, the Golden Age of TV would have been far less impressive.

Vince was later to become one of the patrons of my hospital radio project and we helped each other to gain respective book projects.

Powell worked in Borehamwood on several occasions. His credits included working at ATV (now BBC Elstree) as the co-writer of the classic sitcom, George and the Dragon. The sitcom in-question co-starred Sid James (who Vince would later write & create the Thames TV sitcoms Two in Clover and Bless this House for) and Peggy Mount.

Vince was to co-write the screenplays for both the film versions of For the Love of Ada and Love Thy Neighbour, which were both made at Elstree Studios in the early Seventies.

In 2007, Powell recalled to me how a spin-off film of Love They Neighbour came to be made at Elstree Studios back in 1973:

'The film version of Love Thy Neighbour came about because of the popularity of the TV series. John Robins - who eventually directed it - was a good friend of mine and persuaded Roy Skeggs of Hammer Films that they should do it.

'I often went to the studios during the filming. There was once scene where Rudi Walker was painting Jack Smethurst's face black whilst he was asleep and there was a huge close up of a tin of Crown Paint. I found out later that Hammer was being paid a substantial sum for this advertising.

'Later I noticed that in a scene where a brewery were delivering beer to the Works Social Club, the camera lingered for ages on the logo of Watney's Brewery and when Jack Smethurst took out a packet of cigarettes the camera did a close up of a packet of Benson & Hedges. All this advertising income helped to pay for the movie!'

One of the things I shall remember most about Vince is the private laughs we shared as he recalled to me stories from his long wrting career. Stories about many of the stars and directors etc. he had worked with. Several of the stories could never be published!

We spoke on the phone several times last year and were planning to meet up again for lunch to catch up on our respective projects at some point.

Vince Powell was a great help to me. To explain exactly how would simply take too long. He enhanced both my career and my TV viewing.

Surfice to say I will never forget him and will always be thankful the good things he did for me.

My thoughts are with his family at this very sad time.

RIP, Vince.