In the spirit of all things cheerful, Random House Audio ran a competition to offer copies of Good Times! by cheeky chappie Justin Lee Collins on CD. All entrants had to do was tell us one of their Good Times. Below are the winning entries. They made us giggle, groan and gag in the case of one cat’s ear-wax exploits, but above all they reminded us that it’s the little things that mean the most.

So thanks to Justin, out favourite fuzzy Bristolian- whose brilliant book is now riding high in the iTunes chart. Good Times!

The winning entrants were:

Being 46 and asked if I was 21 in Florida to buy a drink. I felt wonderful and not a frumpy mum of 3. Thank you Florida!!!!
Andrea Tinkler

I always smile to myself when I remember how many years it was before my daughter twigged that I was fibbing when I had told her as a toddler that hamsters came from Hamsterdam.
Melanie Crossan

A night out that was unplanned, and ended up at a small bar with jukebox, fab friends a few drinks and a very improtu karaoke session!
Carrie Hobbs

My good times are going to Legoland with my daughter, getting soaked and eating birthday cake.
Joanna Henley

One of my good times is when I was only 5 yrs old, and was given a toy monkey for my Birthday. I love that monkey, I still have it today at the age of 43. His name is Henry and has been through all my good times with me.
Sherie Buck

It sounds sad, but going to a Bucks Fizz concert last Friday. They were my heroes when they won the Eurovision when I was 10, and to see them re-formed and enjoying themselves, and the atmosphere at the concert made me smile for a full 90 minutes!
Lisa Stewart

When my son was small he asked for a black marker. He was completely trustworthy when drawing so I gave him a black permanent marker. A couple of minutes later he came back and said Look, Mummy, Batman. His arms, legs and face were coloured in.
Hazel Rea

My first job as a student working in a bakery, starting at midnight. It was hard gruelling work but the camaraderie of the people I worked with was immense. I often remember the great fun we had.
Kevin Wellings

My cat eating the earwax off of my little finger. He goes wild!
Helen Pope

Last night I had got in from work, all the housework was done, tea was merrily bubbling away and all the dogs were asleep. I had the chance to just sit back, relax and read a book. Ahhhh, good times!
Helen Waite

 Jenni -  Audio Editorial Assistant

Last week I was out doing interviews and signings with Justin Lee Collins to promote his new book, Good Times!. Justin was welcomed with open arms (and lots of hugs and kisses) wherever we went. People queued for hours to meet him in Bluewater Waterstone’s, Peterborough Waterstone’s, Milton Keynes Waterstone’s, Norwich Borders, Birmingham Waterstone’s and The Chepstow Bookshop, culminating in a marathon signing in his home town Bristol WH Smiths on Friday night.  There will be some more signings coming up later on this year, so look out for more good times soon!

copyright Jenny Potter

copyright Jenny Potter

Read a sample of Good Times!
Hannah - Press Officer

Justin Lee Collins talks about his experience with stinging nettles, a gimp mask and a video camera…

He street jams in spandex and wrestles in lycra. Hes been a magician, a ventriloquist and a clown. Hes hugged some of the biggest stars in the world, and pretty much anyone else whos crossed his path. He mucks about, wears silly costumes and manhandles his friend Alan Carr on national TV on a weekly basis. And people have literally paid him to do all this. Good times!

Find out more…

Ebury opened its arms to the huggable Justin Lee Collins yesterday. He took time out from learning to ballroom dance, high dive and Mexican wrestle for TV to come and chat about his hilarious coming-of-age memoir Good Times! which we publish this Autumn. Our deeply serious and highly professional brainstorm included such weighty discussion points as hugging and ‘how about a karaoke night!’

Justin then regaled us with stories of how be got to where he is now. By accident. How he went from the M&S years where he was told to ‘walk faster’ by his boss. Bad times. To street jamming in spandex and wrestling in lycra and manhandling Alan Carr on national TV on a weekly basis. Rock on!

Justin then met the whole Ebury team over drinks where there was a bit of singing, a few spontaneous hugs, and chats all round before Justin had to head off to ITV for the press launch of his new chat show The Justin Lee Collins Show.

As he left the building our flustered MD was overheard saying ‘I’d only just come into the room when, before I knew it, I was being given a big beardy kiss!’

Rowan - Editor