I’ve just heard the terribly sad news that Britain’s greatest all-round entertainer Frank Sidebottom (or rather creator/man behind the mask Chris Sievey) has passed away.

Frank has always been a firm favourite here at Days Are Numbers, from his days as a wonderfully weird fixture on kids’ TV, to his most recent incarnation as the most top-notch comedy live act around. His colourful, witty and madcap songs and japes will be greatly missed.

Here, to help bring a smile back to your face, is a typically charming and bonkers clip from Frank’s should-be legendary Proper Telly Show on Channel M, showing the great man himself performing The Fall’s ‘Hit the North’ with David “Hutch” Soul and Paul Ryder from The Happy Mondays. And without wanting to do too much axe-grinding on this saddest of days, it’s criminal that he didn’t feature more regularly on terrestrial television in these dark times for British comedy.