STAND-UP comic Bobby Murdock continues his comedy column for Weekend.

This month, the Padgate resident talks about meeting one of Britain's highest selling stand-ups Lee Evans, and what he makes of his decision to retire from live comedy.

AFTER performing for more than 20 years, Lee Evans has sadly hung up his mic.

In my opinion, Lee has been one of the only comedians truly able to fill an arena and do it justice with his quickfire routines and relentless energy.

In a recent interview with Jonathan Ross Lee explained that one of the main reasons he is stopping is to spend more time with wife and his daughter. That and he's 'knackered'.

But another reason for his retirement is the death of his manager Addison Cresswell.

Lee's last tour was called Monsters which finished at the end of November.

I had the pleasure of meeting Lee a couple of years ago in the sunny town of Telford. I was gigging at a pub and across the road there was an arts centre and library where Lee was performing.

Just a small little gig to about 200 people. Comedians of Lee's stature do this and call it a 'work in progress' show.

Basically what the comedian will do on the stage when figuring out a show is literally read from a script or have it on bits of paper on a clipboard or on a music stand.

They literally test the water and tick them off with a pen with the audiences approval hopefully if and when they laugh.

So after our show we walked across the road figuring he would've been finishing his show around the same time as ours.

But when I walked to the venue all the lights were off and the doors were closed.

We tried our luck and went around to the rear of the venue and found the stage door and there he was bouncing around talking to other people, signing autographs, having photographs taken and being very pleasant with everyone that wanted to say hello.

We were at the back of the queue and eventually got to say hello. Lee asked if we had enjoyed the show I explained that we were over the road doing little comedy gig in a pub. His eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

He asked where we were all from, how far we had travelled, how long we had each been performing. He reminisced about a gig he did in Liverpool in a cellar in a bar when he first started.

Lee said in the venue there was a winding staircase next to the stage and when he was doing his spot all of a sudden a man fell at the top of the staircase and crashed through the double doors next to the stage.

He was absolutely brilliant with us and I think his manager got a little bit annoyed with him as he spent just short of an hour talking to us about his early days.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet the man himself and I personally wish him all best for the future and no one can argue that he certainly put British comedy on the map and was a influence to many, including myself.

Although I don't think this is the last we will ever see of him. I'm sure he will pop up from time to time giving performances of his classic routines or making appearances on TV or film.

- For more from Bobby, follow him on Twitter @BobbyMURDOCK or visit his website whodaresgrins.com