How '˜true gent' Wogan made a real impression

Here's looking at you kid, Terry Wogan with his custom-made ice creams at SilverDell, Kirkham

As the tributes flooded in for broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan this week, the memories came flooding back of his trip to Kirkham almost 10 years ago.

Hundreds of fans flocked to see the star DJ, some queuing for hours, as he arrived in October 2006 to sign his autobiography at the SilverDell bookshop, cafe and ice-cream parlour in Poulton Street.

The visit began as he landed by helicopter in a farmer’s field off Higher Home Lane and Sir Terry described his entrance as ‘by far the grandest’ he had ever made.

He admitted to being overwhelmed by the hundreds who queued up outside the shop to greet him and said he was ‘very proud’ of the ice creams made especially for him.

Shop co-owner Elaine Silverwood always made a point of preparing a bespoke ice-cream whenever a visiting celebrity came to the shop for a book signing - Sir Terry had three.

The Tasty Terry was made with Irish cream and coffee sauce, Terry’s Flying Visit a vanilla ice cream decorated with sweeties shaped like space rockets while Terry’s Tipple, made using pure Guinness.

Elaine this week paid tribute to Sir Terry following his death at the weekend from cancer, aged 77.

“I have very fond memories of him, he was a special man.

“Those smiles were genuine, you could really see it in his eyes. He could not get over how many people turned out for him.

“He was a true gent.”