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Nigel Planer in conversation with Robin Ince

Henley town hall

Friday, October 10

Robin Ince leapt on stage to give an enthusiastic welcome to Nigel Planer. Sporting a trendy burgundy patterned shirt and informal navy suit, Nigel began talking about his new book, Young Once.

“I met up with the comedy writer Henry Normal and he said, ‘Where’s your book?’”

Nigel reflected on the early years. Peter Richardson, who he met at Glastonbury in 1971 (entrance £1), was living in a lorry and didn’t wear shoes. They did a show together in which the character Neil made his first appearance.

Dropping out of university, Nigel took the hippy trail to India. At 6’3”, he came back weighing eight stone. Neil was meant to be believable – even for Nigel’s mum. At a family Sunday lunch, she didn’t give him any meat, saying, “You’re a vegetarian”.

His scientist father was an open-minded man. Nigel recalled an incident at home. One night, his mother burst into his bedroom. “What have you done to your father?”

Earlier in the evening, he and his father had a long conversation about cannabis. His father had read it could go in tea and decided to try it. Nigel made the tea and warned his father the drug could be slow to take effect. His father felt nothing, so he finished the pot.

After an hour in the bathroom, he came out saying he’d discovered the secret of the universe. The second cup of tea had put Nigel’s father in psychedelic overdrive – sweating, ranting and saying he’d seen infinity. His brilliant mind had turned to blancmange.

Nigel revealed a secret – he’s actually quite happy. The book is a romcom written for his wife. In the Eighties, he lived with Roberta, an older woman, and her teenage children. Becoming a step-grandfather at 29, they were together for 10 years.

Twice divorced with two sons, he and Roberta reunited 25 years ago and she’s the book’s heroine.

With time slipping away, Robin invited questions.

Was there any health and safety prep in The Young Ones? No! Nigel took the éclair’s full weight in the Scumbag College episode. Later, he explained to an osteopath that a giant éclair had fallen on him.

What would be his one wish? Nigel thinks for a moment. “World peace. I’m okay and would like other people to be okay.”

Laura Basden