FAMOUS lives will be the subject of several events at this year's Appledore Book Festival.

The much-loved character of Godfrey in television's Dad's Army will be recalled by Nicolas Ridley at the Baptist Chapel on September 26 where he will paint an affectionate portrait of his father, Arnold.

Although Arnold Ridley played an aged and reluctant warrior in the TV series, in real life he had experienced horrific conflict at the Battle of the Somme, where he was wounded three times and later suffered from shell shock, blackouts and haunting nightmares.

To then fight in the Second World War with these memories very much alive took huge courage, and basing his talk on his book, Godfrey's Ghost, his son will speak about the effect of war on his father, about their relationship, about Dad's Army and Arnold Ridley's other career as a playwright and author of the classic comedy-thriller Ghost Train.

As the son of famous Goon, Harry Secombe, Andrew Secombe is in a position to reveal much of the background, the personalities and the private lives of the actors who portrayed Bluebottle, Neddie Seagoon, Colonel Bloodnok and the rest of the characters inhabiting the surreal radio series.

An actor himself, Andrew will also talk about his work in Star Wars (he was the voice of Watto and also Toydarian) his part as Colin the Security Robot in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the fantasy novels he has written including Limbo and Endgame.

His talk will also be delivered at the Baptist Chapel on September 26.

A nagging sense of being trapped in their own lifestyles made Damian and Siobhan Horner decide to change their lives.

Leaving their comfortable London home they embarked on a 600-mile journey in a converted fishing boat with their two small children through the canals of France to the Mediterranean.

The couple recorded their experiences in their book For Better For Worse, For Richer For Poorer and at St Mary's Hall on September 30 they will share the highs and lows of the journey which gave them a renewed passion for love and life.

Playwright, actor and director, Terence Frisby also has a story to tell when he appears at the Baptist Chapel on September 25 – and it is a local story for the South West.

Basing his talk on his book Kisses On A Postcard, he will relate his experiences as a wartime evacuee in Cornwall, when, following his mother's instructions, one kiss on a card meant "it's horrible, come and get me", two kisses meant "all's well" and three meant "it's nice".

Life's rich pattern will be laid out also in the accounts of prominent personalities at the Festival, including Born Free actress Virginia McKenna, politicians Shirley Williams, Paddy Ashdown and Norman Tebbit, and high-ranking military man General Sir Mike Jackson.

The Festival runs from September 25 to October 3 and is sponsored by the North Devon Journal.

Tickets can be obtained online on appledorebookfestival.co.uk or by writing to Appledore Book Festival Box Office, Docton Court Gallery, 2 Myrtle Street, Appledore, Bideford EX39 1PH, telephone 01237 424949.