"IT'S the 3 R's for me," says Howard Marks. "Rum, Reggae and Reefer."

So it's hardly surprising that Jamaica is the dream destination of a man who is best known for smuggling drugs into Europe.

Howard has since been described as "the most sophisticated drugs baron of all time," but more recently he's spent his time putting forward the arguments for the decriminalisation of cannabis, appearing on TV and taking part on the UK debating forum circuit.

The 59-year-old, currently touring as Mr Nice, just one of his 43 aliases, was once Britain's most wanted man, but now he's a favourite all round the country as he takes his stand-up tour on the road again.

It's a far cry from the Oxford graduate who has spent time behind bars both in England and the USA -- including serving seven years of a 25-year sentence at Terre Haute, one of the toughest prisons in America.

Now, though he sees the world through very different eyes -- those of a highly respected author, runner-up Travel Writer of the Year at the NPA Awards.

This year he's already visited Brazil, Patagonia, Sicily and Vietnam for a travel book but for the time being his feet are firmly in his native land.

"I've done a lot of travelling this year and the writing has been my main priority really," he said. "It's been very diverse and really enjoyable but it doesn't pay too well, so I've got to tour to look after my pension.

"It's been a great year. I was really proud to be nominated for the award because to be doing a job I love and getting to see the world is enough of a reward.

"But now I've got trips to Burnley, Blackburn and Wigan to look forward to and I actually can't wait."

Marks has been doing stand-up for seven years, having performed the first of his live shows in London back in 1997. Last year he took his show to 25 venues and performed to over 35,000 people. But he admits that he can still feel the nerves jangling before going out to face the audience.

"I still suffer from stage fright now," he said. "I get really excited before I go on stage and the nerves start but the day they stop is the day I do.

"If you don't get nervous then you're either taking yourself too seriously or getting too arrogant and I don't want either to happen to me."

You can catch Howard Marks on stage at the Burnley Mechanics on November 4, for his humorous slant on the topic he knows more than anyone about -- drugs.

"It's what I know about and it's what I can talk about. I do normal stand up and then take questions from the floor, where I'll answer anything. The main thing is that I make people laugh."