You have to wait for the green man, missus. On the other hand, isn’t this man as green as any who has ever pounded the mean streets of Dublin?
It is, of course, the late Sir Terry Wogan, who passed away last weekend, seen not so long ago on our telly screens being driven around the country in the back of a Merc, offering tips to would-be tourists, his head immaculately coiffed and his grand soft Irish accent firmly in place.
In our photo, taken a quarter of a century ago, Sir Terry has apparently just materialised – “Beam me up, Scotty” style – at a traffic lights in Dublin’s city centre, to the delight of the two women pushing strollers and, if his smile is anything to go by, himself.
In those days he wasn’t Sir Terry, just – as the caption explains – “a director of Century Radio, the country’s first national independent radio station, arriving yesterday for a lunch at the Century Pavilion, St Audoen’s Park, High Street, Dublin, to mark the station’s first day on the air”.
The joy of the picture, of course, comes from the meeting between real Irish folk and the man who made a career out of being Irish – though not in Ireland – as they stand side by side on the pavement. It is spelled out in the contrast between the bright patterns and casual nature of the women’s clothes and Sir Terry’s dark, formal, extremely sharp suit.
And then there’s the woman who can be seen behind the great man’s head. What on earth is she doing? Trampolining? Street dancing? Trying to get away by jumping over a car?
To be fair to Sir T, he looks as happy as a kitten in this nostalgic meet-and-greet moment.
Which is more than can be said for the kids in the strollers. Who's this guy they're all looking at? says the little girl with the ponytail. Dunno, says the little blond boy. But he's not getting a bite of my bun.