The Pride of Bolton's tale of packing bog rolls to winning his first comedy award. This book reads like a 'making of' off one of Peter Kay's stand-up show DVDs and shows the origins of his material over the years. He carries on in his tradition of making normal, everyday things funny just by telling us things we already know and can relate to.
The first half of the book concentrates on the comedian's childhood, in particular his primary and high school days in schools run by nuns, in which he would enjoy many a prank. Other laughs include his brand new 'Nick' shoes, school plays and a babysitting nightmare.
The best laughs are to be found in the latter stages of the book as Peter reminisces about his numerous jobs he's had down the line. Anybody who has had the dis/pleasure of working at supermarkets, garages, cinemas, bars, babysitting or as a wedding DJ will all be able to relate to his often hilarious anecdotes; but may be better off not admitting them till they have left said employment. It's also recommended that you don't try to make any masked gunmen laugh either!
Those looking for an explanation for the whole 'Amarillo' incident will be disappointed as will anyone wanting to know any deep dark personal secrets, this is a light, fun read for his fans. If you are not a fan of Kay's material then this is probably not a buy for you, but well done for reading this far. There is potential for another title from Kay as the book does not really cover the last ten years. However, you can sometimes see from the people he talks about where he gets his ideas for shows like Phoenix Nights. Overall the comedian comes across as a very likeable character and has a nice flow to his reading. While not hilarious through and through, you will have a smile on your face from start to finish, so roll on Part 2 if you will Mr. Kay.