WHO would have thought that a letter about Bude Police would have resulted in one of the 'Post's' most popular columns? Joe Munday likes to generate a debate on current affairs, and his articles certainly do that. From Obama to torture, Jade Goody to the Royal family, regular readers of his work are always keen to know what subject will get the Munday treatment next.

Sixteen-year-old Joe has a very wise head on such young shoulders. When I visited him during his Easter holidays, it was apparent that he has a thirst for learning and a desire, above all, to make people laugh.

Joe moved with his family to the Bude area from Romford in Essex when he was eight-years-old. He now lives in Poughill with his mum Carol, who teaches at Holsworthy Primary School and his dad Steve, a retired fireman. He has a younger brother and sister, Sam and Phoebe.

Joe was a pupil of Bude Junior School before moving up to Budehaven. He is currently in the process of taking his GCSE exams, and hopes to continue in the Sixth Form to study Drama, Art, Media Studies and English Language at A Level.

If comedy and acting go hand in hand, then that's the career path Joe hopes to take. Comedy is one of his greatest passions. He recently had a stand up slot at a charity fundraising evening at Penstowe, and has performed in front of teachers and students at Budehaven on a number of occasions.

However, the Penstowe event was not his first attempt at public stand up comedy. Last March, he did some work experience at the Plough Theatre in Torrington, which holds a regular comedy club run by theatre director Richard Wolfenden-Brown. Joe went along to one of the comedy clubs and thought to himself that he'd like to give it a try.

Joe said: "For my inspiration, I look at things that are on the TV; lots of my material is from that. The one at the Plough was about Celebrity Big Brother at the time. I like to watch celebrities and footballers; they make my job very easy. I don't normally get nervous. I've been doing it for so long now, but I did used to. The first time I did it at The Plough, I did feel nervous, but it was in front of a big group of teenagers and I know what they're like. After that I thought if I can do that I can do anything. If people laugh then you're not nervous."

His love of comedy and for entertaining people are clear to see. He said he probably would move away from the area when he "gets a bit older and uglier." But until then, he is happy to entertain people locally. "I just want to make people laugh through any means. Stand up comedy, I think, is the best way to do it."

School seems to be a good outlet for his talent, and he enjoys trying out his material on the other students. "I make them laugh but not in a clown way because I find that a bit attention seeking. Not that writing a column isn't attention seeking!"

PERFORMED

He also asks his parents if they find new material funny, and if they say no, he takes it to his mates.

Joe has also performed in many plays, and was a member of the Bude Youth Theatre for six years. He is a familiar face in Budehaven School productions, and recently starred as one of the three main characters in Face, which was very well received during its run at the school.

Last year, Budehaven School got involved with a writing workshop, held in conjunction with the Hall for Cornwall, and Joe's English teacher asked him if he would like to be part of it. Joe had the opportunity to work with the playwright Leo Butler and contributed to a production that was performed by professional actors at the theatre, called 'Dawn Chorus.' He used this as part of his GCSE work.

Joe has also been successful in gaining a scholarship to work with the Arvon Foundation, which promotes young writers. A friend of Joe's mum had been on one of the courses and said it was amazing, but costs £600. They found something on the internet about funding, and discovered that five scholarships for the under 25s are awarded each year. Joe wrote a one-page submission on why he deserved a scholarship, and he was successful.

"I don't know how I got that. I was just charming I suppose. After I sent it off I thought I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't hear from them again, but then I got a letter."

He has chosen to go on a comedy-writing course, which is led by people who have written, in the past, for comedians Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle. The one-week residential course will take place in September, and Joe said he was looking forward to the experience, which would hopefully give him a chance to do some 'networking.'

"In the industry I want to go into, it's all about knowing names or knowing people who know names. I'm really looking forward to it."

Joe said that he has always enjoyed English writing and felt that his English teacher at Budehaven, Mrs Napier, has inspired him. "She's made writing appealing, in that writing's for everyone. She's a teacher and that's her job at the end of the day but she's more than that."

It was his writing that got him a regular column in the 'Post' Series. After getting annoyed at the way the police spoke to him and a group of his friends at the Bude Light one day, Joe decided to write a letter to the 'Post' to air his annoyance.

The letter soon received a reply from the police, but that wasn't the last we had heard of Joe. His mum suggested to him that he contacted the paper to see if he could submit a regular article. He did and within weeks, his new column began.

Joe said: "Hats off to the police for annoying me because if they didn't I wouldn't have landed the job. One of them, PC Gary Watts, came up to me and said well done. It's probably one of the best things that's happened to me this year."

NEWSPAPERS

In the few months that Joe has been writing for the paper, there have been a number of letters submitted from other 'Post' readers, either agreeing or disagreeing with what he has written, and a lot inquiring as to where the column is if space restraints mean it is left out one week!

"I like reading the letters people send in about my columns and I like it when people come up to me in person," Joe said. But how does he feel when his work is criticised? "It's only natural that you are a little miffed, even though they don't mean to intentionally undermine the work you've put in, but I'm not really fussed. There's no such thing as bad publicity. I just like people commenting on it."

Joe has been reading newspapers since he was five-years-old, and said: "It seemed like an automatic thing — paper and breakfast. If it's on the front page, it's got to be a big thing."

He is a fan of many other columnists and reads Carole Malone and Jeremy Clarkson's work in national newspapers as well as the regular police column in the 'Post.'

His teachers and fellow students are proud of Joe's work, and many look forward to opening up the 'Post' to see what he has commented on that week. "My drama teacher always brings it in on the Wednesday, I'm quite embarrassed because she shows everyone. Apparently I'm talked about in the staff room quite a bit and all the kids go on the 'Post' website to see what I've written in their IT lessons.

"I don't like the cool kid image. I like being the people's people, without being too Communist. I'm only saying what the other people are thinking. Nine times out of ten I'm the same as any other person."

In his 'spare' time, Joe is very into music, and used to be in a band called 'The Relent.' He still plays the drums and has an electric drum kit so he can practice without disturbing the rest of the house!

He has also been learning Tae Kwon Do for the past few months, and used to be involved with Bude Rugby Club, but said: "I just got bored of being disfigured. It's a bit strange grappling other boys in the mud. Tae Kwon Do's cleaner but still aggressive as hell."