Cant put it down, a real good feeling book, trip down memory lane for us 30 somethings .
Disadvantages:
Biggest disavantage is that it ever came to the end .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I’ve never really been a fan of Shane Ritchie. You see my hairdresser is the hairdresser to the Nolan’s and when he had his affair with the dancer of Grease, the sisters went up in arms over it. My opinion of him dropped drastically as I heard first hand at that time just how much he had hurt the youngest of the sisters, Colleen.
When I heard he had joined Eastenders, I thought “ no way”, this won’t work. I still didn’t like him for his past behaviour. I even thought of turning off Eastenders in protest but didn’t of course. I hate to admit it, but I was wrong. As Alfie Moon with his sidekick Kat Slater, it’s a great match and he fits in brilliantly.
Shane actually lives close to me and within walking distance to my brother. As I knew his book would include bits of the area I knew only too well, I decided to buy it out of curiosity. I wasn’t that keen on him to pay full price of £17.99 from WH Smiths but instead purchased my hardback copy from Amazon. It cost me £11.99 including postage, not bad eh.
The story starts with Shane’s humble beginnings in Ireland after his mum had a “knee trembler in a back alley in Dublin”. He was born Shane Patrick Roache on March 11th 1964. He was born into a poor family and they struggled, living on housing estates that only nightmares are made of.
Shane’s dad wasn’t really there as he was always on planet booze, so his mum held things together for him and his brother Deane. Shane did not know at the time but he had a third brother, a half brother that comes into the story a bit later down the line. I do not want to ruin the plot for you so that's all I'm going to say on the subject. Bet you're intrigued now.
Eventually they left Ireland and came to rest in these fair shores, or Harlseden to be exact. This too was a rough area and the family tried hard to fit in.
Shane always knew he was going to get on TV somehow and had two small bit parts. He joined the moonshine theatre group and progressed his way up the entertainment ladder, well to Pontins actually.
Shane admits himself many times in the book he was a born blagger and lied his way into Pontins. At the time he was only 16 and you had to be 18. Each time they asked to see his birth certificate, he made so many excuses as to why he couldn’t produce it, they gave up in the end and offered him the job of Blue Coat. He made three good mates whilst on the Pontin circuit, slept his way through half the holidaymakers and then got bored and left.
Shane became the warm up act for a strip joint and had various jobs as comedian before he got the role in Jersey.
I remember whilst he was entertaining on THE INN ON THE PARK in Jersey, I was holidaying there with my ex and we went to see Shane. I wasn’t impressed, thinking at the time that this bloke not much older than me was making money buy taking the “Michael” out of his audience and making constant remarks about sex.
Now I’m a bit wiser and older, I could probably find the jokes more amusing but at the time I hated his act. My ex was enjoyed it and couldn’t take his eyes off the skimpy dancers that followed. Now you know why he is an ex, couldn’t keep his pants up for England, buts that’s another review (perhaps).
When Shane met Colleen Nolan for the first time, he was already engaged to another girl, the pattern for his unfaithfulness was well in place. The Nolan’s were the height of popularity in the 80’s and Colleen was the famous one whilst Shane was struggling to make a name for himself. Shane goes on to say he was smitten by her there and then and whilst he was still engaged, he started to see Colleen.
To cut a long story short and not to spoil the plot too much for you. Shane and Colleen became an item. She got pregnant with Shane jnr whilst out of wedlock and that was unheard of in a Catholic family. Shane didn’t want to get married but eventually came round to the idea of running away to America and doing the deed. A further son was born shortly after.
Shane got his break when he stared in Saturday night special. I remember that programme so well, it made Saturday night viewing. It was an entertainment show filmed live from Bournemouth in the holiday season. The BBC had a rating blast and the show was a great success. Cannon and Ball and Bobby Davro were regulars and at that time they were the best things since Dusty Bin. Now they are so cheesy you hate to admit you even remember them yet alone liked them.
After Saturday night special came THE SHANE RITCHIE EXPERIENCE and LUCKY NUMBERS. He was now earning mega bucks and bought a large house in Denham Village, where he still lives now.
It was only when he went to theatre that his marriage really crumbled. It was whilst he was appearing in Greece that he met the dancer Clare. They started an affair that lasted and lasted, even though Colleen found out. Shane lied to both women, telling Colleen it was over with Clare and vice versa. Colleen kept taking him back and he was sleeping with both of them. I don’t want to spoil the story too much, but there was major fireworks eventually and Colleen saw daylight and met a new man. Your heart actually goes out to this lady.
The Nolan’s are a big family and she put up with the aggro they gave her for staying put and trying to make her marriage work. Eventually even she had enough of her husband’s infidelity and moved out of Denham. Shane then bought her a place in Uxbridge, Middlesex.
They remain the best of friends and she has since returned to Blackpool. Shane has now settled down allegedly with another female and has his star role in eastenders. As he admits he loved to spend money, he has now gone full circle and there are rumours in this area that he is selling up his large place in Denham to pay off his creditors. The area of Denham Village is only for the mega rich, you wont find the housing association making bids for any two-bed semi’s there. The list of celebrities who have lived there are still do, read like the Who’s Who. It is a lovely village and I bet he must be gutted to sell it.
After reading this story my opinion has changed of him drastically. He comes across as a bit of wide boy who has had his fair share of feeling poverty. Yes he was good looking in his youth but was that any excuse for sleeping around, even when married he was like a rat up a drainpipe. One sniff of skirt and he was off. Even after all that, I like him.
He admits he was bad in his youth and was a bad husband. He idolises his children though and regrets loosing his money. He reminds me of a real life Dirty Den and its ironic that he has finished up playing Alfie Moon in the Queen Vic.
This book took me just a week to read, I couldn’t put it down. I cannot wait for the next one which I am sure is in the pipeline as he titles the story “Shane Ritchie Rags to Riches – the story so far …..”. I cannot wait as I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page and I have warmed to Shane considerably.
There is a good selection of family and show biz photo’s included in the 284 pages of riveting read. You will also find a paperback version available from THE BOOK STORE at £4.99, but check out Amazon as well. You can find them on www.amazon.co.uk. The ISBN number is 1-84357-099-8 and is co written by Sue Crawford.
I hope I haven’t given too much away of the storyline and I am sure if you are contemplating this as your next book, you wont be disappointed. You wont need a masters degree in Physics to read it but you will get a damned good laugh.
Thanks for reading.
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