I WAS sorry to hear of the death of comedian Ted Rogers who was one of the few funnymen to make a lasting impression on me.

Sadly, he'll probably be best remembered for a rather naff TV game show called 3-2-1. But Ted, who lived in Little Chalfont, was actually an excellent comic who aimed to tell topical gags.

One joke from the 1970s has stayed with me for more than two decades because it turned out to be an excellent prophecy about the world of music.

Ted was taking the mickey out of the new loud modern bands of the day.

He pictured a family get-together in many years time. Everyone is standing around the piano crooning old songs. Then one of the youngsters says: "Let's do an old one for granddad."

They all inhale sharply and belt out a rendition of: "Little Willy, Willy won't go home."

Okay, Ted may have got the band wrong (it was The Sweet, you fools), but the sentiment was spot on.

Years ago, old timers would sing Frank Sinatra or Al Jolson classics. Nowadays, it will be more like Beatles and Rolling Stones, and we'll soon reach the generation where pensioners warble along to the Sex Pistols.

Granddad will croon Anarchy in the UK to a bemused audience of tots.

If you think I'm being foolish, try going into any backstreet pub in Wycombe for instance.

You'll see rock 'n roll bands smashing out stirring anthems. But not to an audience of revolutionary teenagers. Instead, they are invariably decrepit middle-aged rockers in leather jackets.

I always think of Ted when I witness these scenes. But what would he say now because music has changed again?

In 50 years time, you'll see the family around the piano, or the cyberorgan as it will be known (and they'll probably be communicating by satellite from different parts of the universe).

One of the youngsters will exclaim: "Come on, let's do one for granddad."

And then they'll all sing along to Bob The Builder, or to Hear'Say's Pure and Simple.

Depressing thought, isn't it?