JUSTIN Moorhouse will be brushing up on his knowledge of Bury before he heads this way on tour.

The travelling salesman turned comedian, of Phoenix Nights fame, will be in town later this month with his Local Knowledge tour.

Justin, a presenter on Key 103, said: "When I worked in sales I'd be travelling all over the north west and picked up bit of information about the places that I visited. Then when I started on the radio, and someone would ring up and tell me where they were from, I would be able to give them a fact about their hometown.

"But I remember once, someone from Radcliffe rang up and all I could remember was that there's a McDonald's next to Asda!"

The stand-up show will include new material and bits from previous tours.

Justin, who was born in Hyde but now lives in Stockport, said: "I kept the tour to the north west because I don't think that anyone in the south would have a clue who I am. And anyway, I'm too tight to pay for a Travelodge! I played Bury when I was supporting Dave Spikey on tour and I chose to come back here because I really enjoyed it. I'm really looking forward to the tour."

Fans can expect a fun show, with stories, audience interaction and even a mind-reading experiment!

Along with stand-up and appearing in one of the most successful British comedy series ever, Justin writes for television and radio.

He was 29 before he made the jump from sales to stand-up and his hard work on the comedy circuit soon paid off. And in 2000 he was named City Life Comedian of the Year.

He said: "I always had a desire to do something creative. But I can't paint, I can't sing and I can't dance, so I thought I'd have a go at making people laugh. And it's a fantastic feeling when you do. I don't think I could be any happier."

Phoenix Nights has been a great vehicle for Justin, making him instantly recognisable. He was recently involved in the filming of the spin-off series Road to Nowhere, due to be screened next month, and will soon present a new show, Twisted TV , on satellite channel Challenge TV.

He said: "When we filmed Phoenix Nights, it was like having a laugh with all your mates, but it's since become massive, which is great.

"I get asked for my autograph every so often and people are usually very complimentary. They usually do a double-take and then ask where the tiger face is!"

Justin Moorhouse will be at the Bury Met Theatre on Saturday, October 23. For more information telephone 761 2216.