Ted Lowe: ‘Whispering Ted’, voice of snooker for half a century has passed away
This story made me think of other small screen icons with distinctive patters – Whispering Bob Harris of Old Grey Whistle Test fame, Peter Alliss the golfing whisperer and voice of cricket and rural country pursuits who could whisper with the best of them John Arlott.
I fear with the passing of Ted and the increasing vintage of of Bob and Peter we are witnessing the end of a quiet and dignified era.
There is a brilliant book by Graham Robb “The Discovery of France” which tells amongst lot of other interesting things, the tale of one French mountain dialect based just on whistles – which could travel miles in the thin air.
All of which makes me wistful for a time and an era when people were interested in speaking more precisely and listening more effectively.