HOW tickled Lady Anne Dodd was to unveil a plaque to her late husband, Knotty Ash comedian Sir Ken Dodd, at the Grand Opera House, York, in a ceremony conducted on Saturday afternoon with humorist Tim Vine and scriptwriter Barry Reeves.

"There's a lot hinging on this," said one-liner comic Mr Vine, as the bow was removed from the door to reveal the plaque's words of tribute and the memorabilia in the renamed stalls bar.

York Press:

Comedian Tim Vine, left, Lady Anne Dodd and scriptwriter Barry Reeves perform the unveiling ceremony for the Ken Dodd Bar and plaque at the Grand Opera House, York

The plaque reads: "The Ken Dodd Bar. Sir Ken Dodd OBE 1927-2018. Legend Of Live Entertainment. Our Favourite Visitor". "I thought it was just going to be a plaque but for it to be The Ken Dodd Bar as well is lovely," said Lady Anne. "He loved playing the Grand Opera House and we'd had a date planned here for a show this year."

Sir Ken died in March and had last played the York theatre on July 10 2016. "I'll provide some more memorabilia for the bar," said Lady Anne, who already has donated such items as a couple of Ken Dodd tickling sticks.

Mr Vine, who was in York to perform his Sunset Milk Idiot show later in the evening, said: "Genuinely it's an honour to be asked to unveil this plaque because Ken was one of my absolute comedy heroes." Inspired by the Dodd mastery of the quickfire gag, he called himself a "mere student" by comparison.