A photographer has spoken exclusively about meeting one of comedy’s national treasures Ernie Wise.

No festive season is complete without the family glued to the television for a festive edition of Morecambe and Wise.

To coincide with the season and in celebration of the late double act John Stewart Farrier, who has photographed John Lennon, Roald Dahl and Margaret Thatcher, tells of his time with Mr Wise taking pictures, drinking tea and having “more giggles than he can ever remember”.

Mr Farrier, of Ethelbert Road in Faversham, said: “It all began around the May period. Ernie and Doreen (Ernie’s wife) were away in Florida and I had to wait for about six weeks before I could take my photographs of one of television’s best comedy icons.

“This was going to be an important session for me but tinged with some sadness and, indeed, trepidation because it was only a few months after Eric Morecambe, Ernie’s comedy partner, his life-long friend, had passed away after a heart attack.”

Mr Farrier visited Ernie at his home in Gloucestershire in 1984 where, he says, Ernie was incredibly welcoming and instantly entertaining.

Mr Farrier has always just used a simple Nikon camera and his photographs are mainly in black and white.

He said: “The magic of being in the presence of a great entertainer is just – let them do what they do the best – entertain and you can simply click away.

“I could not stop laughing. It was such a treat for me to be in front of a master of comedy. I had to put my camera down for a matter of moments and compose myself before we set off again.”

Mr Farrier said he took the opportunity to ask about the British institution of Morecambe and Wise and he shared the enjoyment, hard work and laughs he had experienced over the years.

He says there was a touch of sadness in the room when they started discussing Mr Morecambe and he said Christmas would never be the same without his business partner and friend.

Mr Farrier added: “I had taken more than 100 photographs in glorious black and white, drank loads of tea and had more giggles than I can ever remember. I had been in the company of a warm and gentle man who was really passionate about his lifetime profession, comedy.”