PATRON OF THE ASSOCIATION    :  COLIN DEXTER  OBE

At the start of 2010 the internationally known crime writer Colin Dexter became our Associations Patron. Most famous for his “Inspector Morse” stories and TV series, Colin is a great supporter of ABI and will be attending our 2011 AGM.

" Dear Eric
I will be honoured and delighted to become a Patron (the Patron) of the ABI .

As ever Colin "

After completing his National Service with the Royal Corps Signals, Colin Dexter read classics at Christ College, Cambridge graduating in 1953.

He received a Masters Degree in 1958.

He started a career in teaching in the East Midlands, including posts at Wyggeston School, Leicester, Loughborough Grammar School,  finally taking up the position of Senior Classics Teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northampton.

In 1966 Colin was unfortunately forced by the onset of deafness to retire from teaching and took up the post of Senior Assistant Secretary at the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.

Colin Dexter OBE is a living legend having written numerous best selling crime novels, drawing on his own experience of deafness in 1977 to pen " The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn ".

He is the recipient of numerous Crime Writers Association awards and was awarded the highest honour of  the " Freedom of the City of Oxford ", the third person to be awarded this great honour, the first being Nelson Mandela.

His most famous creation has to be " Inspector Morse" a character who displays Colin's own love of classic English literature, the music of Wagner, cryptic crosswords and until recently, real ale.   The name of " Morse", despite Colin's expertise in  "Morse Code" during his National Service days with the Royal Signals, was not born from his memory of this part of his life, but was named out of his great respect and admiration for Sir Jeremy Morse.

The international success of over 30 TV episodes of "Inspector Morse" brought further acclaim, and following in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, Colin made a cameo appearance in almost all the episodes.

With the "Freedom of the City of Oxford, Colin Dexter's impish humour remains, stating that his only claim to fame has been to make Oxford the "Murder Capital of Europe".  It is difficult to visit Oxford City centre any time of the year without observing a tour guide or two followed by a groups of international tourists on the "Morse Walking Tour".