Huddersfield jeweller Tony Bailey has fond memories of Harold Wilson in the 1980s.
As a man-about-town and friend of Wilson’s best pal, Lord Kagan, he was a natural choice to pour his brandy of a nighttime after the former Prime Minister had performed his daytime duties.
The former Prime Minister - who entered No 10 50 years ago this week - was a regular visitor to his home town.
Bailey, 75, said: “He was a naturally very charming man and I was happy to help.
“I was a director of a jewellery business and the Labour Party wanted someone who would look after him and keep him happy. They wanted someone who would look the part and could entertain him.
“People would be coming in to see him all the time and if someone was annoying him or taking too long talking to him, I would move them on.
“Basically, I was Harold Wilson’s nursemaid of a night. He was a very nice and very pleasant and being a friend of Joe Kagan’s was no handicap either.
“I played nursemaid and tried to keep him sober.
“He liked his brandy after all the day’s work had been done and he would go to bed at 1am.
“I was living at Howard Road, Lindley, and my family’s next door neighbour was a chap called Roland Mortimer who had a successful paper printing business and who was the financier of Gannex, Joe Kagan’s company.
“Joe used to call regularly to see Roland and so we got to know each other quite well.
“I had a Singer 1.5 litre racing car which had seen action at Le Mans and Joe wanted to buy it from me but I wouldn’t sell it to him on principle though I took him out for a spin occasionally.
“So, I could talk to Mr Wilson about Joe. Harold was very pleasant company, there was no nastiness to him.
“I would be there when such as Barry Sheerman, the Huddersfield MP, and his wife had done with him.
“I remember meeting him at Joe Kagan’s place. I can’t remember if it was his family home at Barkisland Hall or his house in Fixby Road.
“They were happy times.”
