Apart from the Marina, and the monkey, Alan Wright is another one of Hartlepool’s treasures.
Well known over the North East as a columnist for the Hartlepool Mail and broadcaster for the BBC he has entertained throughout the region with his wicked sense of humour and professionalism.
When Durham County’s Cricket Ground was built on the Riverside at Chester-le-Street Alan became Chief Executive and was instrumental in putting it on the map and helping advance it to the status it now holds as an International English Test Match Cricket Ground.
Although now running his own business,his connection with cricket continues through Lord’s Taverners
A new book written by Alan and entitled ‘Wright Here’ contains a compilation of many of his observations on life first seen in his newspaper columns.
When it comes to introductions TV presenter Chris Tarrant writes of Alan…
“He is quietly but completely barking! We met in no less prestigious a setting than the Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was a balloon debate on behalf of the Lord’s Taverners, with some of the best after dinner speakers in the land going head to head in a brutal verbal knock out competition. The anecdotes flowed, the wine flowed and, by a massive consensus, quietly but inarguably at the end of the whole gruelling side-splitting affair, Alan won”.
Much of the zaniness is captured throughout the book with tales of ‘Odd shaped Balls’ and rolling on the rugby pitch, ‘Transporter of Delight’ which tells the hilarious story of Alan’s father’s friend Jack, a bike and the Transporter Bridge.
The Red Arrows,The Bachelors and Ricky Tomlinson feature in ‘Ukeleles and Red Arrows’ and ‘Duck Attack’ emphasises how ‘Quackers’ he can be and explains what a Pooly Dut is to those not aware of its existance.
In his forecast of the news for the following year he relates ‘The year ends with a Hartlepool resident being banned for life from B & Q. He explained:“As I was walking in, this bloke asked if I wanted decking, so I got my punch in first.”
These days his love of words, silly stories, people and live observations take him all over the UK including guest speaking on Cruise Ships.
For me the tongue in check humour is brilliant and the tales put a natural smile on your face. He is a great humourist and it shows throughout the book which is one of those items that you ‘can’t put down’.
Not only is it available direct from Alan at www.wright-here.com but also on Amazon Kindle.