A COMEDY great who died after contracting coronavirus has been remembered for his Dorset connections.

Tim Brooke-Taylor, who died aged 79 on April 12, was best known as one third of the popular 1970s show The Goodies and was a star of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

He gave his name to a Dorset golf tournament which raised thousands of pounds for good causes and also filmed episodes of The Goodies in the county.

From 1985 to 1991 a celebrity golf event at Came Down Golf Club near Dorchester was named after the star. The tournament, which raised more than £36,000 for medical research, was known as the Tim Brooke-Taylor Classic.

Came Down Golf Club's historian Peter Fry, of Weymouth, said Mr Brooke-Taylor used his contacts to draw star names to the event.

He said: "Back in 1984 I initiated a celebrity golf event at Came Down Golf Club to raise funds for medical research through the Sportsman's charity known as Sparks – sportsmen pledged to aid research into crippling.

"For the second year of the event Tim Brooke-Taylor kindly agreed to put his name to the event and persuaded his friends to join him at Came Down in an attempt to give the tournament even more prestige. From 1985 to 1991 the tournament was run annually under the title of The Tim Brooke-Taylor Classic."

Among the well-known names who competed in the event were Floella Benjamin, Max Boyce, John Conteh, Peter Duncan, Jimmy Hill, Brian Jacks, Eddie Large, Johnny Leach, Ed Stewart and Richard O'Sullivan.

Mr Fry said he was saddened to hear the news of Mr Brooke-Taylor's death,

"We will always be most grateful to Tim Brooke-Taylor for his generosity and kindness in hosting such a successful event," he said.

Mr Brooke-Taylor also filmed scenes with The Goodies on Portland and in Dorchester for a 1973 episode called The Goodies and the Beanstalk alongside the two other members of the trip Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden.

In 1975 the trio filmed a special called The Goodies Rule – OK at Parnham House near Beaminster. During the episode a huge Dougal, the dog from The Magic Roundabout, charges up behind them. As Graeme Garden tries to ride the giant animal, and Tim Brooke-Taylor is run over it, Bill Oddie grapples with an enormous Zebedee from the same programme.

The trio guide Dougal and Zebedee back to Parnham House.

In 2011, Mr Brooke-Taylor was appointed an OBE for his services to entertainment, joining Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden in having the same honour.