Dave Spikey

12/03/2009

Phoenix Nights co-writer &
actor and stand-up comedian

If I knew then...
What would you say to your 16-year-old self if you could go back in time? We ask another well known celebrity to offer their younger self some words of wisdom.

16 was a crucial time for me. I was moving into the sixth form hoping to do medicine. Then my dad had an accident at work which changed my life completely because it was decided that we didn't have enough money coming in and I would have to leave school and start earning. But I got a job as a lab technician at the local hospital and after a bit I grew to love it.

My dad was a special man, a self-employed painter and decorator. We grew up without much money, but he was self-taught and a very informed and enlightened man. He encouraged us to read, took us to art galleries and classical concerts. At night he used to crank up the record player, put on one of his priceless Deutsche Grammophon LPs, get my mum's knitting needles and sit and conduct the Berlin Philharmonic.

I'd tell my young self not to worry so much about what everyone else says. I was a bit immature and sensitive to criticism. I took everything personally. It's only been in the last 10 years I've learned to ride it – a bit. I still focus on the bad reviews rather than good ones. Silly.

One of my happiest memories is listening to radio comedy with my dad – Round the Horne, the Navy Lark. We would slide off the couch laughing, holding our sides, not able to breathe. He died after the first transmission of the first series of Phoenix Nights, which he absolutely loved.

My biggest regret is that I didn't have the courage of my convictions. My first job at the hospital was in the animal testing lab and I had to gas mice and break the necks of guinea pigs. I hated doing it but I was scared and I did it. It traumatised me and I've become very involved in animal welfare since. I still wish I'd refused to do it. 

I'd tell my young self to remember that blood is thicker than water. My younger brother was a bit of a rebel, a scally, and we drifted apart when we left home. When he was 21 he got cancer and that brought us closer together but when he got better we drifted apart again. It came back and he died last year. I still wish we'd spent more time together during those years.

I feel incredibly grateful for what I've achieved. I know it's a cliché but I pinch myself every day.

Interview: Jane Graham

Dave Spikey performs at Aberdeen Music Hall on May 9