1 September 2012 Last updated at 12:28 ET

Max Bygraves: Your memories

Veteran entertainer Max Bygraves has died in Australia, aged 89.

The singer and comedian, whose career spanned five decades, had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Here, BBC website readers share their memories of the former Family Fortunes presenter.

Rodney Collins, Lanarkshire, UK

"Friendly, down-to-earth and thoroughly decent"

Max Bygraves was one of the nicest people I ever worked with.

I was publicity manager at the Victoria Palace at the beginning of the 1970s and he was a regular on Pete Murray's Open House when I worked at Radio 2 later in the decade.

He was one of the last - there aren't many of the best left. Ken Dodd and Bruce Forsyth and that's about it.

These people today learn their trade through television and then do concerts. With people like Max they did it the other way around.

Before he emigrated he would still go out in Bournemouth for his fish and chips. He was a real people's person.

Always the same; friendly, down-to-earth and thoroughly decent. He was a genuinely nice guy.

Ian Huntly, Reading, UK

Ian and Carole Huntly met Max Bygraves on their honeymoon

My wife and I met Max during our honeymoon in London in 1968. We had a series of things to see, one of which was a lunchtime show at the BBC with Max Bygraves.

At the end of the show, we asked if it would be possible to get an autograph from him. I thought we'd hand in our programme and he would sign it while we waited outside.

So we were very surprised when he asked to see us.

Not only did we get his autograph, we were taken to the rooms at the back of the theatre to meet him and he made a great fuss over us.

I wish we had a camera with us but we still have the autographed programme to remember him.

He was also a great favourite of my mother and she was so jealous of us meeting him.

John Harris, Dorset, UK

I met Max every year in Bournemouth. I was a taxi driver and I used to belong to the Bournemouth Taxi Association.

Once a year we'd organise a taxi drivers' golf day to raise money for the local disabled children.

Max used to live in the area, and he would come every time to sing and entertain the guests.

I was a caddy for the taxi drivers and I used to film it all. He would always take the mickey out of me.

He was a lovely man, very quick with his jokes - never stopped making jokes. We had a great time.

Not only that, but he would bring his showbiz mates to take part as well. We've had many celebrities visiting us.

It's a sad day. And I've realised I no longer have those videos. What a shame!

Alex Turner, Kent, UK

"He was charming and left a very good tip"

I met Max when I was about 15, 30 years ago.

I worked in the cafe under the arches in Westcliffe-On-Sea, Essex. I remember it clearly because it was one of my first jobs.

He came in for a Sunday fry up - he was charming and left a very good tip of 50p I seem to remember, which was a big tip in those days.

He put me at my ease by being kind and saying he was just an ordinary person like all the other customers.

He was my nan's favourite and we always watched him on the TV. Nan would not miss a show.

Keith Towler, Camors, France

We met Max during a stopover in Singapore in 2001. It was quite a brief, but pleasant, meeting.

We were on a replica "junk" [boat] visiting one of the islands.

As he was a face you would recognise, the moment he appeared, people started talking to him.

Very nice chap. He came out and started chatting away - told us about living in Bournemouth but also having a place in Australia.

We found him and his wife very friendly, cracking jokes with everyone by the end of the trip. We are proud to have met them both.