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Legendary TV presenter and talkshow host Michael Parkinson was born in Barnsley but lived and worked in Doncaster at the start of his journalistic career. Here's an extract from his recent candid autobiography:

"Eventually, I moved from Barnsley to Doncaster to work on the Yorkshire Evening Post. I chose Doncaster because in those days it was a journalists' town. Two evening and three local papers were printed there.

It also had a racecourse, a decent football team, one or two agreeable pubs and a few good-looking girls. I met one on a bus and married her.

I remember the very moment I first saw Mary Heneghan. I was on the upper deck of a double-decker travelling from Doncaster to the mining village of Tickhill. With me was my colleague Denis Cassidy.

We were on our way to a council meeting when this tall and slender girl with reddish gold hair and a red duffel coat sat behind us. Denis, who was good at chatting people up, introduced us. When I turned to look at her I remember thinking I could gaze upon that face for a long time without tiring.

She said she was a teacher on her way to earn some extra money with a keep-fit class in Tickhill. When she'd gone I told Denis I might be in love. He said I should call her. I said I didn't have her number. He said she told us which school she worked at so what more information did a trained journalist require?

I said I was too shy to ring the school. He said: 'Don't be so bloody stupid. I'll ring for you.' And he did, pretending to be me, which is how I came to date Mary for the first time. Pathetic really, and yet the start of a partnership lasting 50 years. We married in Doncaster. Mary made her own wedding dress; I looked as if I had made my own suit. "


This is an extracted from "Parky - My Autobiography" by Michael Parkinson, published by Hodder & Stoughton. © The Parkinson Partnership Limited 2008.

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