Cribbins as emperor

SIR – Eight years ago, as a favour to his chum, the director Martin Jenkins, Bernard Cribbins (Obituaries, July 29) agreed to play the part of Emperor Franz-joseph of Austria-hungary in my radio drama, Countdown To War: July 1914.

Having climbed two flights of stairs to the recording studio in Brighton, Bernard sat down, placed his script on the table, looked across to the control booth and asked: “How old is this bloke, anyway?”

“In July 1914, Franz-joseph was 83,” I replied.

“Right,” said the 85-year-old Cribbins, “I’ll play him young, then.”

David Elstein London SW15