A PLYMOUTH author who loves Reading Festival is planning the second instalment of a history book based on the town's iconic event.

Ian Carrol is the author behind The Reading Festival: Music, Mud and Mayhem, the Official History - containing interviews with bands, artists, managers, fans and organisers.

Mr Carrol said he's been going to Reading Festival every year since 1983, and wanted to put all his memories on paper.

And despite starting to write the book in 2004, the first edition wasn't published until 2007.

"The inspiration for me to write it was that it was the first ever festival that I attended and therefore it's very close to my heart," said Mr Carroll.

"I went to my first one in '83 and loved it from then on - the only years I missed were when my wife (at the time) booked a holiday to Tenerife on the same weekend in 1990 and the other time was when I went to Donington Monsters Of Rock Festival as it was the same weekend in 1995 - '84 & '85 there were no festivals, so this is my 29th year at the festival."

The 50-year-old is planning the next edition of the book to come out over the next few years, and hinted that his son could take over his festival crown once he decides to stop.

The history book covers the festival before it moved to Reading from Richmond in 1961, up until 2006 and weighs in at over 400 pages.

"The most enjoyable thing about writing the book was meeting all the bands, some of them my childhood heroes," said Mr Carroll.

"For the festival I need to start planning ahead from when the line-up is first announced and then it's a case of arranging interviews with the bands via their PR and agents, most bands are quite helpful.

"I write the book alone, so it's me flying solo each year."

Mr Carroll couldn't decide his favourite festival memory, although he highlighted seeing Nirvana appear two years in a row as a fond memory.

For information on the festival book visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Reading-Festival-Music-Mayhem/dp/1905287437.