27 Aug 2024
They were one of television’s greatest double acts, but who was the man responsible for photographing Morecambe and Wise in and around the St Albans district?
Press photographer Tony “Greg” Gregory entered the profession by chance after spending three days snapping pictures of a major train disaster at Harrow and Wealdstone station in 1952, but went on to work for the Harlow Star, Harrow Observer, Watford Observer and Herts Advertiser before his death in 2013.
During his career he photographed a wealth of famous faces including The Beatles, Sir Winston Churchill, Sophia Loren and Roger Moore.
But it was Harpenden’s Eric Morecambe who became more than just a subject, as they enjoyed a friendship lasting decades until Eric’s tragic death in 1984.
They met up at a wide variety of events across the St Albans district – including the wedding of Eric’s daughter Gail at St Nicholas’ Church in Harpenden – both with and without Eric’s sidekick Ernie.
There are photos of the duo before their first show in St Albans, and preparing for panto at City Hall. Others show the long-lost Great Red Lion pub in Market Place, what is now Zizzi.
Many of the photos featured on these pages have either never been published, or have remained unseen for decades.
Some don’t even exist as prints, with the only surviving record being the contact strips which photographers use to select the best image for full-size reproduction. Tragically, these include pictures of Eric with the late, great Willie Rushton.
Greg’s complete collection of surviving Morecambe and Wise photos were donated to St Albans Times editor Matt Adams by his widow Heather, and we are pleased to be able to publish them in full for the first time.
