Having moved from south-east London to Kent in 1962, it was a chance meeting with Peggy Cochrane (wife of Jack Payne, the 1930s/40s band leader) that sparked Bryan Darby's interest in writing poetry. They worked together for some time and, gradually, he turned from lyric writing to poetry.

Having been involved with the theatre since his early teens, relocation gave him the opportunity to join the Kentainers, a local entertainment group, where he met his actress wife, Ann.

His weekends were devoted to working the clubs and holiday camps around Kent and Sussex as a singer, while Ann was busy raising their two children.

In his spare time, he wrote short stories, publishing first in the Evening News, and then across the general magazine market.

During the 1970s and '80s, his poetry regularly appeared on BBC Radio and, over the years, has appeared in a range of publications. In addition, he taught the craft of fiction writing for more than a decade at several Adult Education Centres in Kent and Sussex.

Five years with the Royal Air Force in the 1950s had equipped him for a career in Electronics which, perhaps inevitably, led to some 15 years in technical journalism, first in Press Relations, then as an editor with two national trade journals.

Retiring in 1999, he decided to dramatise some of his published stories for the stage, and he continues to produce both short stories and poetry.

Now in his mid-80s, he has some pretty firm ideas about retirement.

"If I ever run out of ideas, " he says. "Perhaps! But, don't hold your breath."