AT the age of seven or eight, Billy Connolly made a fateful decision: he sat in a puddle in the playground of his school in Partick. He found this made people laugh, and thought that rather pleasant. He went on to make life more lightsome for millions around the world.

Now, at 74, he has been awarded a knighthood. Honours for comedians are few and far between, and it is an even rarer knight of the realm whose footwear has been made of bananas.

But this will be a popular decision, particularly since of late Connolly has become an inspirational figure, admirable in the way he has dealt with debilitating illness.

From the start, the former shipyard boilermaker knew the secret of making it big in comedy was to go a bit over the top and, while his ribaldry and unorthodox interpretation of the crucifixion made some enemies, his gift largely left the nation giggling.

Not just a comedian, but a movie actor and fine fingerpicker of the banjo, his services to entertainment are well worthy of recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, in which author JK Rowling is also recognised.

Connolly has come a long way since that fateful day in a Partick puddle when he was first drawn to comedy, to today when – as he himself might put it – “the knights are fair drawin’ in”.