Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Colin's Little Known Facts: Adrian Mole and Leicester

Everybody has heard of Adrian Mole. But did you know that this diary-writing teenager comes from Leicester?

“The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾” was written by Leicester-born Sue Townsend and published, with enormous success, in 1982. Adrian Mole lives on a Leicester housing estate and fantasises, particularly about the girl he wishes were his girlfriend.

The book’s earlier incarnation was “Excerpts From the Secret Diary of Nigel Mole Aged 14 ¾”, which was contributed in 1980 to a local arts magazine.

She repeated the formula with “The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole”, and more recently has carried his story into adulthood. There has also been a TV series based on the book, in which the TV company gave the cast Birmingham accents, presumably under the well known principle that “it’s all up North”.

Other books written by the very talented Sue Townsend include “The Queen and I” in which Her Majesty lives on the Saffron Lane estate in Leicester.

Sue, who is now registered blind, still lives in Leicester.