John Midgley reviews LICENSED TO DRILL!

The inspired cover perfectly sets the scene for the entertainment to come. I have known Barrie for many years being one of the dentists mentioned in ‘Licensed to Drill’. This gives me a distinct advantage. As well as knowing many of the characters depicted I can also ‘hear’ Barrie’s voice in my head delivering the various accounts in his inimitable style, ending invariably with a wide grin and distinctive laugh. He is a very accomplished story teller in the flesh and translates that talent seamlessly to the written word. I liked the Bond theme which proved a successful skeleton upon which to hang otherwise disparate accounts. I liked that I could read for 5 minutes or 50 depending on circumstances and be entertained either way. And I liked most of all that he didn’t mention me setting fire to his new surgery!
In the words of the theme song from The Spy Who Loved Me, when it comes to enjoyable and humourous dental anecdotes ‘Nobody does it better. Makes me feel sad for the rest. Nobody does it half as good as you. Barrie you’re the best’