An afternoon with David Nobbs

We want more!   

A chilly Autumn Sunday afternoon and the hussies join a packed audience in Hexham library  to hear David Nobbs recount tales from his writing life.  David has already featured in this blog -  we read his Complete Pratt  and Sex and other Changes  - and today we are not quite sure who we will see or what we will hear.

According to the Hull Daily Mail, David Nobbs is 78 but he looks younger and this afternoon he demonstrates tremendous stamina without any evidence of any cognitive decline. Indeed, he is a  charming and engaging speaker with countless amusing anecdotes and the time whizzes by.  

He recalls his National Service, his early days as a journalist and his tenacity as a writer in the face of rebuttals.   His surname was an ideal launch pad for his comedy writing career and today, many of his stories describe experiences of script writing for comedians like the Two Ronnies,  Ken Dodd, and Stephen Fry.  Others, deal with the practical and political challenges of writing for a living.

Unsurprisingly, we hear more about The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin than his other works.  During the summer of 1976  (see blog archive)  he joined the shoot for the first TV series and his  fondness for Leonard Rossiter is evident.  

As he talks, we learn that much of David's inspiration comes from his close observations of people, things he hears them say, and the manner in which they are said.  He is a natural mimic with a broad repertoire of local dialects.

As the afternoon comes to a close, the audience is still hungry for more and there is insufficient time for Hadrians Hussies'  questions.  Why are his stories so often concerned with identity? What did he think of Martin Clunes as  Reggie?  Whose writing does he admire ?

Thrilled with my signed copy!  I grew up watching this with my dad. 

I was delighted to leave the Queens Hall with a signed copy of the Reginald Perrin Omnibus and even more thrilled that, when he has some free time, David agreed to answer more questions by email.

Watch this space for those answers -  we will be blogging Hadrians Hussies first literary interview!