David Jason: My Life

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Sir David also takes a nostalgic tour of his childhood roots in North Finchley - including a visit to his old school - and is on location on his latest project Still Open All Hours. TV documentary maker Simon Reeve has dodged bullets on frontlines, hunted with the Bushmen of the Kalahari, dived with manta rays, seals and sharks, survived malaria, walked through minefields, tracked lions on foot, been taught to fish by the President of Moldova, and detained for spying by the KGB.

Conversely, I did find the first two to five hours a little bit boring as a lot of detail was put into explaining his early days on stage. In 1992, he signed a golden handcuffs deal with ITV to star as Detective Inspector Jack Frost in the long-running TV series A Touch of Frost (Yorkshire Television/ITV). Jason starred in London Weekend Television's Lucky Feller (1975–76), written by Terence Frisby and produced by Humphrey Barclay. Upon receiving the knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on 1 December 2005, he said he was "humbled" by the "fantastic tribute".I enjoyed this book so much, it was really quite a sad moment when I came to the end of the book, David Jason is a true gem we are all so lucky to have him, all the enjoyment he has brought to so many. Seldom have I had the good fortune to read (listen) to such an entertaining, amusing and well written autobiography. I’m delighted that this month I’ve actually found time to read My Life by David Jason, the book chosen by the U3A book group to which I belong. From Open All Hours to The Darling Buds of May to his starring roles as Detective Inspector Frost in A Touch of Frost and, of course, Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.

David Jason rejected for lead role in Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em because BBC execs thought he lacked 'star quality' ". He has seeped into our consciousness through decades of portraying memorable characters and always comes across as an affable, charming man in interviews. On my list of favourite actors and great to read about other stars and all the plays/tv Sir David has been connected too, especially the "governor" Ronnie Barker. David Jason has managed to illustrate that missing out the autobiographical genre from my reading means I’m missing out on memory, entertainment and enjoyment.

I got the distinct impression that here is a man who is very private and really doesn't want to give too much of himself away. David’s is a touching, funny and warm-hearted story, which charts the course of his incredible five decades at the top of the entertainment business. Jason had a happy childhood and adolescence and appears to be an unassuming man who doesn't particularly care for the limelight his profession brings. The no-holds-barred memoirs of a GP who went from working at a quiet suburban practice to treating the country's most dangerous criminals - first in young offenders' institutions, then at the notorious Wor.