COMEDIAN Jim Bowen has become something if a cult hero of late with appearances on hit TV shows such as Bo Selecta and Phoenix Nights.

And now comes the book Right Place, Right Time to tell the story of the man who has become an institution after finding fame with comedians such as Bernard Manning and Frank Carson. And. of course, as host of popular darts-based quiz show Bullseye.

Jim's story begins at the Liverpool children's home to which he was sent in 1937 after being born to an unmarried mother who could not care for him But far from being a tale of woe and hardship, , he looks back on a childhood of affection and humour with his adoptive parents, recounting holidays in Blackpool and his first job as a binman after failing his exams.

The book also records his stint of National Service, and the momentous decision to give up life as a teacher for the bright lights of showbusiness, which ultimately proved a wise one despite years of hard graft in pubs, clubs and on cruise ships before TV came calling.

Jim has long been a resident of the villages of North Lancashire and at one time lived in the old station at Arkholme. He also claims the Lune Valley as one of his favourite places in the world.

Unsurprisingly, the book is laced with down-to-earth humour throughout and is a must for anyone interested in the bygone era of clubland' entertainment and, of course, Bullseye.

Super, smashing, great!

Right Place, Right Time by Jim Bowen. Palatine Books, £10. ISBN: 1874181357.