HAROLD Steptoe is alive and well and working in Darwen - well at least you'd think so if you met Bob "Willie" Wilson of Darwen Car Dismantlers.

And now everyone can read all about the larger-than-life character in a 350 page book which documents his remarkable life.

For the 70-year-old, who turned his hand to writing seven year ago, has just had his autobiography Life Begins At Twelve published in hard back.

The book spans his full and varied life starting with a difficult childhood spent in hospital to the setting up of his scrap metal business and his dreams of bringing greyhound racing back to Darwen.

He wants to build a stadium on the site of his "Steptoe and Sons" yard in Goosehouse Lane. His wife Elsie inspired him to write the book and he hopes its sales will help finance that dream.

But the author is quick to point out his creation has no airs or graces and he is no scholar, despite having attended creative writing classes: "I can't even read my own writing. Without my word processor I couldn't have done it," he laughs.

But as he says in his book he is not a man easily deterred and has already started the second instalment of Life Begins At Twelve.

He says: "I may not be young, but my craving for life and knowledge is still with me! Forever I hope, for I have much more to write about!"

The book is available at all good local bookshops, priced at £14.99.

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