• His next career was on TV writing jokes on programmes like 'Room 101'. He also told us he wrote some lines in the film Chicken Run. We even asked him which lines he wrote and guessed a few of them - so he has written lines for people like Mel Gibson. He then finally got the chance to then write his own novels.
  
  John read us a passage out of his book 'This is Your Life'. It was about a man getting up in the morning like a usual man does and going down to get his tea ready. The dog then got very excited to see his owner and would leave him alone. We were told that later on in the story, his character then becomes famous at a stage. He said that the dog of this character kind of reminded him of how his dog is with him in the mornings and gave him the idea to write this book.
  
  He has also starred in the old BBC TV programme, Grumpy Old Men. He told us he gets chances to go on shows to talk about his work as he is doing this week. On Thursday, he will be in a show to talk about politics. Let's hope that goes well for him.

• Last night, John visited the Waterstone's bookshop in Deansgate to read parts of his novels. After his reading he was then asked questions about them and signed books for people.
  
  According to John, he finds his mum boring compare to his dad! His mum goes on about her day buying flowers with no excitement, whereas his dad gave a really interesting story about his day at Burger King. He had gone to Burger King and only wanted the burger with no bun. They gave it to him then he asked for a knife and fork to eat it with as he can't eat it with his hands. They refused and said the burgers are supposed to be eaten with hands. So he walked out of the shop. They then came running after him with his money back! He says his dad is just better suited to comedy because the way he tells his stories is naturally funnier than the way his mum does.
  
  Another reading he gave was from his other book about time where there were battles. He read a passage from the time when the battle of Hastings took place in 1066.
  
  He was making fun on William the Conqueror in this passage. But his name wasn't always William the Conqueror, as a child he was known as William the "not very nice swear word" (obviously I can't print that here!). He was also making fun of the way he must have controlled everyone while they were on the hill waiting for battle. Everyone would not be listening to him, saying the opposite and not really caring about what was supposed to be done.

• The visit by John O'Farrell has taught us a lot about being an author that we would not have ever guessed. It was a great pleasure to meet someone with that much humour and talent who got somewhere in life. Might there now be some writers amongst us here at Manchester Academy?

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