SIR Michael Parkinson isn't the only former Yorkshire reporter who has written his memoirs.
While Parky's will be selling in thousands sales are likely to be far fewer for In Parallel - A Yorkshire Childhood*, penned by former colleague Janet Barker. They were briefly together at the Doncaster office of the Yorkshire Evening Post in the Fif
ties.
"He knew a lot about cricket, enjoyed throwing parties and showed flair as a drama critic," she writes.
"Though he was sometimes a bit quiet on a Monday morning when over-enthusiastic weekend partying was possibly to blame."
She tells how when he was ordered to report the funeral of a bigwig in the Newsagents Federation and take down all the names of mourners he refused to do the "long, boring and menial task."
Summoned to see the editor, "loud recriminations were heard coming from the room.
"Then Michael marched out, slamming the door so violently that he broke a pane of glass in it. Whether he had resigned or been fired is a moot point."
The cost of repairing the door was taken from his final week's wages.
Janet writes: "He would have done great things anyway without the help of a dead newsagent but timing, they say, is everything."
Published by Jeremy Mills at 12.99.
Snap up a bit of animal magicHOW to Be On TV - the Diary's famous feature. Do you want to be a wildlife photographer?
Nine people will be sent across the planet to photograph animals and the winner will get a placement with the BBC Natural History Unit.
E-mail endsoftheearth@bbc.co.uk for an application form.
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