Marathon mirth-maker Ken Dodd proved he is still the king of comedy at the grand old age of 88.

The comedy icon was back at Bournemouth Pavilion for his annual Easter visit brandishing his famous tickling stick and dispensing tickle tonic by the bucket-load.

The length of his shows is legendary - after all Doddy landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records in the 1960's when he told 1,500 jokes in three and a half hours.

And now this has very much become his schtick as he builds a big chunk of his comedy routine around it referring to audience members as hostages and telling us it will be a night of "fun and frolics and a challenge for your kidneys".

Fortunately the Pavilion Theatre plumbing has been updated since the time he caused the toilets to literally explode when the audience -after sitting for hours, all rushed to spend a penny at once.

He also made it clear to us at the start of the Saturday night show that the clocks might be going forward and we would lose an hour but that wouldn't stop him:"don't worry - I will add it on at the end," he declared!

I have watched Ken perform live almost every year since the mid 1980's and first saw him on stage when I was eight years old in the 70's so I'm well aquatinted with his act.

Many old jokes or comic tales are told again and again because just like Tom Jones should always sing Delilah, these are his greatest hits regular audience members always expect to hear.

It is the way Ken tells them that counts and re-visiting old jokes is like re-visiting old friends. Despite occasionally forgetting a word or two his timing is just brilliant and he prides himself on telling several new jokes in every show too.

His famous run-in with the Inland Revenue is still a hugely fruitful comedy topic and the audience laps up the jokes about the tax inspector and Ken's love of money.

His musical input in the show has increased, singing songs that mix both comedy and pathos, from his hits including Tears for Souvenirs and Absent Friends to his joyful signature tune Happiness.

When he sat on a stool towards the end and sang 'My Thanks to You' the sentiment was so heart- felt he must have brought a tear to every eye. It was magical.

Ken had several variety acts - Bournemouth's brilliant Andy Eastwood who played banjo, guitar , violin and ukulele, as well as singer and pianist Sibie Jones and juggler Steve Arnold.

More that five hours hours later the clock was nudging towards 12.30 - that's 1.30 am with the clock change. The jokes about landladies bemoaning the skin on the Cocoa and nursing homes reporting us missing were flowing and Ken was still waving the tickling sticks as the curtain finally fell.

Incredibly he was heading off to Frome in Somerset to do it all again. A true living legend!