• President of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society. historyproject.org.uk

• Birth / background: He was born in 1962, in Maidstone, Kent, UK, and has lived there most of his life. historyproject.org.uk

• How he got involved and what the Society does:

  • The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society (THAS) was founded in 1976, several years after Tony Hancock’s death (1968). Its purpose includes collecting Hancock’s works, increasing availability of his shows (radio and TV), building an archive, and supporting the preservation and promotion of his legacy. historyproject.org.uk

  • Under Gibbons’ leadership, the Society has built a large audio archive (over 1,000 items) plus a substantial video collection. Many of these were missing or only partially held in public archives. historyproject.org.uk+2BBC+2

• Key projects & activities:

  • Worked with the BBC and other partners to restore, release, and make available the surviving radio and TV episodes of Hancock’s Half Hour. historyproject.org.uk+1

  • Co-author of Tony Hancock: Inside His Life In Words And Pictures (with Lucy Hancock, Tim Elms, and Kevin McNally) which uses both the family archive and the Society’s materials. British Comedy Guide

  • Involved in public events, podcasting (THAS have a podcast Very Nearly An Armful), launching exhibitions (e.g. in collaboration with Riverside Studios), and outreach to younger audiences. historyproject.org.uk+1

• Philosophy / motivations:

  • From interviews, Gibbons emphasises that beyond merely preserving material, the Society wants to keep Tony Hancock’s legacy alive for new generations, ensuring his comedic work is accessible. historyproject.org.uk

  • Also, the efforts include recovering “lost” or missing episodes / sketches, working with collectors, restoring audio and video, etc. historyproject.org.uk+2The Guardian+2

If you want, I can put together a more complete timeline of his life (education, earlier career) or list all the major contributions he’s made through the Society. Do you want that?