This is a global original podcast.

Hello and welcome to full disclosure, a podcast project designed to let me spend more time than is usually available on the radio with people that I find fascinating.

Although in this week's guest's case, Les Dennis, we did want to spend a hell of a lot of time talking on the radio. Do you remember?

We did, absolutely. I came and did your show and I was really impressed that you were the only person who had definitely read the whole book.

That's right, I had, which is why I haven't had to do any research at all for this one. A long time ago. It was a lot.

Well, we'll see what I could remember.

But what did occur to me?

Because I don't know whether this one will go out the week before or the week after an interview

I've done with Johnny Vaughn.

Right.

And I hadn't realised that Johnny Vaughn's done almost no interviews in the course of his career.

People know next to nothing about him. In some ways, you're the opposite left.

I mean, you have, all along, you've put it all out there.

Absolutely, it's all out there.

Yeah, kind of full disclosure is a good title, isn't it?

And I should add that you're on stage,

we're recording this at about 4 o'clock on a Thursday afternoon and you're on stage in HMS Pinafore at the English National Opera at half past seven.

Half past seven this evening but it's only across the road.

It is, it is convenient.

Get a bit of tea and then I'll go and do it.

Let's begin at the beginning, 1953, Garston, near the Docks where both your dad and your

granddad had plied their trade. Yeah, yeah. My dad was a docker on Garston Docks.

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