The Diver

Leslie Harrison Lambert was born on 11th November 1883 in Nottingham.

After attending Rugby School he trained to be a surveyor. One of his passions was magic and such was his prowess that he joined The Magic Circle, and performed at society events.

By the beginning of World War I he was an amateur radio ham and volunteered to work at a coastguard station in Norfolk to intercept German radio transmissions. By November 1914 he was with the Admiralty at Naval Intelligence Room 40. By 1919 this had become part of the new Government Code and Cypher School. He was still there as World War II erupted across Europe and with many of his colleagues he transferred to Bletchley Park. There, in Hut 8, he was quoted as saying that "in contrast to his outrageously unconventional stories" that he led his life on "a monotonously regular timetable".

Life outside the Intelligence services was very different. He married but the couple had no children. They lived at Holland Park with a second home at Potter Heigham for sailing on the Norfolk Broads. Other interests were as an amateur radio operator, using the call sign G2ST, and an authority on food and wine.

He contacted the BBC to suggest he might tell one of his own short stories on the radio. Thus was born A J Alan, and his broadcast of ‘My Adventure in Jermyn Street’, on New Year’s Eve, 1924. It was an immediate success and although he only broadcast a handful of times a year he was one of the most popular radio personalities of the time. He spent weeks working on each short story, honing his conversational style, making his stories seem like anecdotes that had peculiarly happened to him.

A live broadcast was, in fact, a performance. He used cards to avoid any rustling noises and kept a candle lit in case the lights failed. His attire was a dinner jacket with eye glass, and a slim black briefcase.

Many of his stories were subsequently printed in newspapers and magazines.

By 1937 his health had deteriorated and he reduced his radio work making his last broadcast on 21st March 1940.

A J Alan died on 13th December 1941.

© 2023 Miniature Masterpieces (Rafbók): 9781835471234

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Rafbók: 22 september 2023