It seems almost the end of a national institution when a broadcaster as familiar as Barry Norman finally leaves the nation’s screens. He will be remembered fondly by many, but perhaps not so warmly by BBC viewers in the Shetland Islands that he offended when Speilberg’s ET was about to open.

In his film review programme, Norman was always fond of the odd waspish, dry put-down remark, delivered with a wry smile. Remarkably, for that time ET was to open simultaneously at almost every cinema in the UK, except, as Barry put it "Except for a few remote places like the Shetland Islands where they probably don’t even realise the Second World War has ended."

Amazingly, people in Shetland have television sets and regularly watched Norman’s programme, at least they watched it regularly until the night of the off-the-cuff remark……

What Barry Norman was ignorant of, was the tremendous sacrifice of Shetlanders in both World Wars. This is clear from the many war memorials, kept neatly in every part of the islands by Shetlanders who lost so many kinfolk in the army, the air force and royal and merchant navies. Many communities were depopulated so badly after World War One the inhabitants appeared to be entirely maiden aunts.

Shetland also has a BBC radio station of its own. Staff turning up for work next morning found all the telephones ringing angrily and the ansaphone full, all registering complaints about the insensitive remark passed by Norman late the night before.

Well, all the great broadcasters have broad shoulders and Norman was no exception. The film programme put up his producer to do the 2-way interview for the local radio news. It was the producer’s broad shoulders that carried the grovelling apology about the unscripted off-the-cuff remark.

Not certain who replaced the burnt-out Radio Shetland ansaphone.

Probably the licence-fee payer.