“Rebel Without a Pause” is part two of local hero Mally Welburn’s autobiography and is as funny, engrossing and full of pathos as it’s predecessor “The Boy Who Flew Through Windows”.

Julie Burchill wrote a piece in the Guardian last week, which bemoaned the new genre of “Victim Lit”, a sentiment I entirely endorse.

Welburn can no way be associated with the new literary fad, you know the stuff. There is line after line of this depressing guff on the supermarket bookshelves.

Why on earth anyone would want to read Sara Payne’s account of the aftermath of her daughter Sarah’s murder, or the memories of Soham father Kevin Wells? It just plain takes my breath away.

Pamela Stevenson’s biog of Billy Connelly epitomised this victim-as- excuse culture; Billy had a tough working class upbringing so thereby excusing the fact he is an arrogant bully and all-round horrible bloke.

This woe-is-me charge could be laid at the door of Frank McCourt with his epic book of Limerick life, Angela’s Ashes.

No one can deny that some unpleasant things went on, or that life in inter war Ireland was extremely tough for some, but gloom pervades all, making Denis O’ Shaughnessy’s contributions all the more worthwhile for their balance and perspective.

Mally is a Hull Lad through and through, and these books have the strong flavour of Working Class life, and you can literally smell the fish docks and hear the eerie sound of the Humber foghorn as you read this honest and real account.

Mally’s books avoid all this victim status as he takes us through his upbringing on Gypsyville, near Hessle Road, the heart of our now wrecked fishing industry.

“Dysfunctional” would be the Guardian trendy description of his family. I imagine Mally would call it something far more interesting and colourful.

Welburn first came to my attention on Look North when he was interviewed in his Sport’s Shed which was all decked out in Hull FC memorabilia for the 2005 Challenge Cup Final.

Basically the idea is that Mally builds and sells these Dream Sheds marketed at sports mad blokes who can escape into their own little world at the bottom of the garden.

A genius idea and very much a success story based on initiative and drive.

Mally then auditioned for Big Brother getting to the final lot, but I suspect the production company got cold feet as Mally was “a bit of a lad” having done time for assault.

He makes no bones about the hard drinking and fighting culture that existed amongst the fishing community of Hessle Road, nor does he excuse the terrible things that he did, and their impact on his wife and children.

Welburn documents coldly and rationally what he did and why. Brave words, not mealy mouthed excuses and God only knows, Mally fits every stereotyped profile for a thug.

But, Mally is a very intelligent bloke, as witnessed by his mock nautical exam results (the best ever recorded) which he passed to gain the much coveted Bosun’s Ticket for the lucrative, but gruelling trawler runs.

And therein lies the rub.

If you have brains and the ability to take control of your life, there is absolutely no excuse for underachievement or poverty of aspiration.

Welburn has never wasted a single day of his life, always trying, often failing but willing to graft and never give up.

But this is the bit I admire the most.

He describes in detail what a total inadequate bully of a brute his father was, and the casual violence dished out to him and his Mum in particular.

The way it is written leaves you in no doubt that it is real and true. No one could make that stuff up and write about it in such a manner, just banging away with one finger, no editing, to tell it how it was.

Never at any time does the author blame anyone but himself for the stupid, idiotic and plain irresponsible things that he did.

No excuses, no hand wringing physco/sociological pleas for our understanding. Just the truth and you, dear readers make your own mind up.

It is a story of redemption as Mally reaching his forties, decides he better just grow up, stop drinking and start a new proper fulfilling life.

Using the opportunities provided by the Government schemes, he set up and ran the business living initially rough on the damp squalid, rat infested premises of Hessle Road, breaking up pallets and reusing them.

No matter what the hardship Mally stuck it out and didn’t slide back into his old ways saying; “Well, I tried…..” He just keeps on going.

Winning £54,000 on Deal or No Deal as the production team were seduced by his persona from the Big Brother auditions sealed his local celebrity.

 I admit I never saw the programme at the time, but read about it, and Mally in the Hull Daily Mail, and was immediately seduced by his larger than life personality.

These books are brilliant, a real antidote to the packaged dross that pervades most autobiography sections.

You will still “get” it if you aren’t from Hull as the themes are all relevant to our shared human experience.

The message?

Stop whining. If you want to change your life, just do it.

Pure existentialism. As jean Paul Satre famously said;“Humanity is condemned to be free”.