Thank you for letting us know about Basil's sad death.

If I'm allowed a short tribute to him, I'd like to mention some moments from the early days.

I'm 80 now so Basil was five years older than me.

Several of us from the Christian Union used to go up to the Haymarket each week to listen to him playing the piano at a coffee bar there!!

Such was his fan club!!

I remember him sitting at a grand piano in one House Party and he'd just heard about Victor Borge playing 'Happy Birthday' in the manner of various composers.  

Basil said "Oh, that's a good idea" and then spent the next half hour or more doing exactly that!  I remember the Wagner section, in particular.

What an amazing musical talent!  His sight reading was no better than mine (Grade4/5) bur he could play anything by ear and with so many instruments.

I remember being at a House Party - I can't remember which one - and Basil was an officer there, along with Wuffle, Eric Hayward, Gordon Couch, Bob Jeffreys, Bill Atkinson, and my memory packs up at that point!

We were having our evening Service in the school chapel and Basil was giving the address.  In the middle of this, there was an almighty flash of lightning and a clap of thunder and all the lights went out! To my astonishment, Basil never missed a beat but just carried on in the pitch black and delivered his message.

This may seem a little trite but that moment was one which helped to seal my beliefs and I went on to become Secretary of the CU and then, some years later, an Elder in the United Reformed Church, which honour I've now held for 47 years!

I told Basil about that moment and the effect he'd had on me but he didn't seem to remember it. Such was his humility.

I suppose that his training as an actor stood him in good stead at that precise moment.

I also remember when he was in COMPACT on television and played the part of Alan Drew.

He went on to produce records under that name and, of course, I and others went out and bought them!

I still have mine in a box of EPs and LPs!

Gordon Couch and Basil both played a large part in the formation of my beliefs and I'm forever grateful to them both.

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Bill Nelson (1953-58)