Dave Benett
14 October 2013
While many fans have called for a knighthood for Nicholas Parsons, chairman of Radio 4’s Just a Minute for 45 years, the Lady Taverners celebrated his 90th birthday at the Royal Thames Yacht Club at the weekend by awarding him its highest accolade, a pink bow tie. Parsons is a past President of the Lord’s Taverners, as are Chris Tarrant and Bill Tidy, who sang the veteran broadcaster’s praises.
Tarrant said Parsons had seen 21 prime ministers come and go and congratulated him on getting into the Guinness Book of Records with the longest after-dinner speech of 11 hours — until Gyles Brandreth beat him.
