IT’S hard to believe that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the legendary TV series, Minder. First aired on ITV in 1979, and set around the hilarious shady dealings of Arthur Daley, played by the brilliant George Cole, and his side-kick, Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman), the show was a huge hit with TV viewers and ran until 1994.

As a youngster, I loved watching Minder. The lovable car salesman and West Londonbased entrepreneur, Arthur Daley, got in to all kinds of amusing trouble but always seemed to be one step ahead of Detective Sergeant Albert Chisholm and his Welsh sidekick, DC “Taff” Jones.

Even in his spare time, while enjoying a large VAT in the comfortable surroundings of The Winchester Club, poor Arthur was often visited by the local constabulary but thanks to the quick-witted antics of the landlord, Dave Harris, and former boxer Terry, he always managed to escape their clutches.

Twenty years after Arthur last appeared on our TV screens, and 35 years since his public debut, it would be great if the show had a special reunion, to give the nation a much needed chuckle.

Thankfully, some of the original episodes are still shown on ITV4 and I still watch them now with my family.

There will never be another character like Arthur Daley or a much-loved show like Minder, but I live in hope that the legend and his trilby will make another appearance on television, along with the characters that helped to make it so special.

There is probably more chance of my mate, Kev Jenk, becoming the next manager of Real Madrid, but at least Minder will stay with us all for ever more. They just don’t make them like they used to.

Christopher Wardell, Darlington.