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Nobbs enthralls festival audience
I DIDN'T get where I am today - writing about Scarborough Literature Festival - by not knowing how David Nobbs got where he is today.
He is living with his second wife Susan somewhere in North Yorkshire - a secret location, not far from Harrogate but within striking distance of Scarborough - contemplating the release of his 17th novel Obstacles To Young Love (out on June 10) and finishing his 18th novel Life After Deborah.
He has written for some of the British comedy greats - Les Dawson, Frankie Howerd and Ronnie Barker included - created revitalised revolutionary Rita Simcock, the affable artisan Henry Pratt, a journalist turned celebrity chef, and perhaps the most famous of them all suburban subversive Reggie Perrin.
For his fans - "all two of us" - he writes one of the wittiest blogs on the web. It is shot through with the wry observations, humour, tolerance, compassion and humanity which flavour his books - ranging from the Reggie Perrin and Henry Pratt series through A Bit Of Ado, Going Gently, Sex and Other Changes and Cupid's Dart.
Through his work David Nobbs comes across as a thoroughly decent, humorous chap and he is equally charming and amusing, in the flesh. In short: he and his books are great compassionate company.
If he - and his books - are anything to go by, and I believe you shouldn't go by them or that you should go buy them, he likes pubs, cricket and Hereford United. He pokes fun at all politics and politicians and believes in the better nature of human beings.
He is enthusiastic about his work and tolerant of other people's views of it - "I'm not asking you to like my books", he says. "I just want you to know they are available to buy."
He over-ran on his festival hour - to the delight of a capacity audience. He was meant to be in London for the start of filming on the second series of the new Reggie Perrin series with Martin Clunes but had agreed to do the festival first and kept the date.
He enthralled with tales about his National Service, working as a reporter on the Sheffield Star, his rejection letters from publishers, his time working with Leonard Rossiter on Perrin, his adoptive county, working with Dawson and his own revitalised career.
Nobbs is delightful, amusing, engaging company in any form.
by Sue Wilkinson
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
