CURRICULUM VETO - SID KIPPER

FULL NAME                         Sid Kipper.

DATE OF BIRTH                 21.9.46.

PLACE OF BIRTH              Farmer Trout's Barn, St Just-near Trunch.

MARITAL STATUS             On shelf.

EDUCATION                        Trunch Bored School (1951-56),

                                                Knapton Academy (1956-60).

QUALIFICATIONS              Cycling Proficiency Certificate

                                                    (dropped handlebars);

                                                50 yards breast stroke (theory);

                                                Grade 8 walnut-shells.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

From school Sid joined the firm of George Kipper Enterprises (foundered 1983), where he held the position of 'nephew'.  During this period he gained experience in flogging, dealing, evading pursuit, and driving behind lorries waiting for things to drop off.

In 1964 he joined the Mundesley Dark Infantry for a year of National Service, despite the abolition of National Service some years earlier.

In 1984 he took up the trade of 'folk singer' with his father, Henry, as 'The Kipper Family'.  For some years they got away with this, until suspicions arose that Henry was not the real thing.  Amidst rumours that Sid was, in fact, George's son, the old man retired in 1991 and Sid became a sole trader.  Since then he has blossomed in all sorts of areas, becoming a nationally renowned performer, with an impressive pedigree as author, broadcaster and recording artist.

SKILLS

Sid is proficient in all manner of performance.  Musically he has a particular strength in cruel and unusual instruments such as the walnut-shells, anglo-saxophone and Trunch blowpipes.  He is a beguiling storyteller, with a seemingly bottomless repertoire (although bottoms can be included, on request).  He sings in a number of styles, or none at all.  He is continually expanding his skill base, and has latterly been seen as an actor (in David Copperfield for the BBC TV), radio reporter (for Radio Norfolk), and champion of rural arts touring.

INTERESTS/HOBBIES

In many ways Sid's hobby is his work, but in others his work is his hobby.  Consequently he likes to spend time investigating the sorts of themes and activities which occur in his songs, books and stories, in order to understand them better.  This leads him to spend a fair amount of his free time in poaching, extra-marital relations, sports, and gossip.  Rumours that he has taken up morris dancing, however, are robustly denied.

PUBLICATIONS

Albums

Like A Rhinestone Ploughboy (1993);  Boiled In The Bag (1997);  Spineless (1997);  East Side Story (2000);  Cod Pieces (2002);  Chained Melody (2003).

Books

Prewd and Prejudice (1994);  The Ballad of Sid Kipper (1996);  Crab Wars (1999);  Cod Pieces (2001);  Man Of Convictions (2003).

Broadcasts

The Lateral History Programme and A Christmas Robbin' (for BBC Radio 2), The Kipper Country Code for Channel 4 Radio, East Anglia Sings Again (for Radios Norfolk and Suffolk), Reedham And Weep and The Road To Irstead Pier (for Radio Norfolk), and many episodes of Should The Team Think (for Radio Norfolk).