Alistair Cooke is my hero. For many years, while my wife went to church on a sunday morning, I would stay at home and make my communion with a cup of tea and his Letter from America. Every week for 48 years he broadcast a personal, humane, wise and often witty letter. In many ways he was the first podcaster and he set a very, very high standard.

The BBC has an archive of all his broadcasts from 1999 until his death in 2004 and many of them are available on tape or in books (although they don’t translate to print that well - they are written for broadcast). Nick Clarke, another broadcaster, wrote a very good authorised biography which reveals that the letter is rooted in his years-long experience as a correspondent for a British newspaper.

From memory, a couple of memories. One is his statement that “broadcasting is the control of suspense.” Another is his anecdote about meeting the Queen. She said “it amazes me how you are able to sit down at the microphone and come out with these wonderful letters.” He muttered a non-committal reply but reports that he wanted to say “well, actually, they’re written to a fare-thee-well.” It’s a testament to his style that he was able to *write* something that sound like it was just spoken off the cuff.

If there is an afterlife, Cooke will be sitting in the bar at some heavenly Augusta after a round of golf with Bobby Jones, HL Mencken and Bing Crosby. He’ll be thinking of something to put in his next letter, but not to worry, eternity is his deadline.