Books
DAVE'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY - THE THIRTY BOB KID
It's a story that takes us from his birth in Atherton to a single mum who worked in Howe Bridge cotton mill and lived in a two up two down in a cobbled street through the many phases of his career from journalist to comedy writer to appearing in some of the UK's biggest soaps and television shows, including Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
There's lots of memories of his Atherton childhood and teen years in here: including being rescued from the top of the Coffee Pot!
When he found out he was "different" at junior school, it had a profound effect on his personality which resulted in the short sharp shock of being locked in a police cell aged nine.
His Mam's ill-fated love affair meant that he never met his father who was his mother's boss at the wartime munitions factory where she worked on the dangerous production line known as the Suicide Squad.
He also never met his grandfather who mysteriously disappeared into thin air one day. He met his sister for the first time when he was nearly 40.
After leaving school, Dave worked in the madcap world of local newspapers then went on to work on the Manchester Evening News before leaving to pursue a career in comedy writing - eventually becoming chief writer for Ken Dodd then going on to write for other famous comedians.
It wasn't all a barrel of laughs though, as he frankly discusses.
A chance encounter led him into working as an extra on television, progressing to bigger and bigger parts and leading to many different roles in the nation's favourite soaps and comedies.
He talks about his Mam's sad decline into dementia as well as his encounters with fascinating and famous folk ranging from the Sex Pistols, Stan Laurel's valet, Rik Mayall, Les Dawson,Tommy Cooper and many more.
It's a book full of interesting and funny stories, laced with nostalgia and with a motivational twist.
Meet his eccentric family; marvel at his Mam's mind-boggling superstitions and some rather spooky events that can't really be explained.
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Lancashire Laughter and Tears is also available on Amazon and contains stories and poems about Dave's home town of Atherton.
Look out also for his very funny and legendary LANKY SPOKEN HERE!
All make wonderful gifts for Athertonians (and other less fortunate folk) old and new.
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