HERE'S a message for the bosses of Blackpool's top venues - give Phil Walker his own summer season.

So says Andrea Hodgson who is undoubtedly the Fylde comic's greatest fan.

The 25-year-old has been a follower since he appeared in a talent show at the Viking Hotel in 1987.

Her dedication has involved seeing him live many times, spending thousands of pounds following him around the country and collecting newspaper cuttings for a scrapbook.

Andrea has even stood for four hours just to get a glimpse of him for four minutes while he played in a charity golf tournament and has met him on many occasions.

"I've seen Phil on stage 112 times," she told the Citizen as she reeled off a full list of his appearances since he started making a name for himself.

"The first time was in Easter 1991 when he was at the Horseshoe Bar. I enjoyed it so much I went back the next week.

"It just went from there.

"I have videoed programmes when he is on the television and started travelling to see him in 1994 and he had a shock when he once saw me in the audience when he appeared in Salford."

Andrea's travels have also included an 800-mile round trip from her home in Bedford Road, Blackpool, to Butlins in Minehead just to see Phil on stage for an hour.

And she will often return to the same show night after night.

"He doesn't use the same jokes each time but mixes them up and will ad lib from the audience," she said.

"People may think I'm sad but I think he is very funny, clean and tells jokes about situations you can relate to."

Her only chagrin is that despite her efforts he is still not as well known as he could be, explaining: "A few years ago I wrote to ten television companies asking them to put his name about and to drum up interest but nothing came of it.

"He hosted the Lord Delfont tribute show in Blackpool last year but no one mentioned him.

"It gets me so annoyed because he's so darn good."

Andrea, a receptionist at Darbyshire's solicitors in Blackpool, even recalls doing her bit to launch him on the road to stardom in 1988 when she helped vote him into a close second during a heat of New Faces.

"Maybe I should have voted more than once," she reflects.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.