The creator of Inspector Morse didn't start writing until he was in his 40s, when he was inspired to put pen to paper by the tedium of a family holiday.

"We were in a little guest house halfway between Caernarfon and Pwllheli. It was a Saturday and it was raining - it's not unknown for it to rain in North Wales," he says. "The children were moaning. I was sitting at the kitchen table with nothing else to do, and I wrote the first few paragraphs of a potential detective novel."

His first book, Last Bus To Woodstock, published in 1975, introduced the world to the cantankerous inspector. The detective would eventually feature in 13 novels, as well as numerous short stories. Colin shares his creation's fondness for cryptic crosswords, real ale and classical music, although he thankfully does not have Morse's short temper.

The television adaptation of the Morse stories ran for 14 years, coming to an end in 2001, with most of the episodes featuring a Hitchcock-esque cameo appearance from Colin.

After winning a grammar school scholarship, he went on to graduate from Cambridge in 1953. His first career was as a classics teacher but he was forced to retire when he became deaf in the 1960s.

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