Brian Cobby's Biography

Who was Brian Cobby?

Brian Cobby replaced Pat Simmons as the speaking clock (Tim) in the UK. He took over on 2 April 1985 at 11 o'clock. Cobby won a competition and the lady that he beat into second became the voice that says "the number you have called has not been recognised."

In 2007, Brian Cobby was one of the judges that unanimously selected Sara Mendes da Costa to take over from him as the speaking clock.

Cobby told Waitrose Magazine, before he worked for BT he was an actor, doing a lot of voiceover work, including, in 1965, the very famous countdown for Thunderbirds.

Appropriately enough, Cobby was the speaking clock in Radio 4's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Brian Cobby died on October 31st 2012, aged 83.

According to The Economist: "He was Gravesend-born, went to an Oxford high school, sang as a chorister and sounded then, he fancied, somewhat like A.A. Milne’s Christopher Robin. His father, a manager of Woolworths’ stores, had moved all round the country, so no accent could be pinned on Brian."

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