Peggy Redwood was tickled when she met comedy king Ken Dodd thanks to The Argus.

The 79-year-old great-grandmother has always wanted to meet the madcap comic who brought much happiness into her life.

So it was a dream come true when she had her own audience with the quick-fire comedian and singer last night before he took to the stage at The Hawth theatre in Crawley, where he was touring with his Happiness Show.

Mrs Redwood's dream was fulfilled thanks to The Argus and her devoted granddaughter, Tracy Payne, of Bexhill Road, Woodingdean.

Miss Payne, 22, wrote to The Argus in February: "My grandmother has always been there for me, making sure she was doing everything in her power to make me happy. Now it is my turn to make her smile. With your help, I would like to make my grandmother the happiest woman on this Earth."

Miss Payne said her grandmother was mad about Ken Dodd. She said: "She has been his number one fan since he started his career in showbusiness.

"She loves Ken Dodd so much she has even requested his song Happiness should be played at her funeral."

Miss Payne closed her letter by saying: "What I would like is to arrange for my grandmother to meet Ken Dodd and have a photo taken with him. It is her 79th birthday in March and as much as it would be the perfect present, I understand if it is too short notice."

The Argus contacted Ken who not only sent Mrs Redwood a surprise birthday card but said he would be delighted to meet her and her granddaughter and gave them both tickets to the Crawley show.

Lifelong reader of The Argus Mrs Redwood, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Brighton, had seen Ken twice before but she has become less mobile in recent years and has been unable to travel independently.

So The Argus Appeal stepped in and arranged for Mrs Redwood and her granddaughter to be collected from their homes and driven to the theatre where Ken met them back-stage.

The comic, himself in his 70s, stepped into the dressing room armed with tickling sticks and chatted to the delighted duo before posing for pictures.

When he heard where his two fans were from, he said: "Brighton, what a lovely town. One of my agents used to live in Hove. Very posh, you know."

Putting on an upper-crust voice, he quipped: "There were two ladies talking about Hove. One asked what the rates were like in Hove. The other lady said goodness, we don't have rates in Hove, just a few mice."

Mrs Redwood told Ken she would not ask for a kiss and cuddle but he said: "Of course you can have a cuddle." Then he popped a kiss on her cheek.

Mrs Redwood said: "He is wonderful and his voice is tremendous. I'm so grateful to The Argus for this."