▁ 2 2 . ▁His ▁work ▁includes ▁nov els , ▁short ▁stories , ▁non - f iction ▁( including ▁histor ies ▁of ▁food ▁and ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ), ▁cook ery ▁books , ▁stage ▁and ▁television ▁plays , ▁paint ings ▁and ▁draw ings , ▁book ▁and ▁magazine ▁illustr ations . ▁He ▁has ▁written ▁and ▁presented ▁a ▁television ▁document ary ▁on ▁v andal ism , ▁appeared ▁in ▁numerous ▁radio ▁and ▁television ▁program mes ▁and ▁lect ured ▁on ▁food ▁history , ▁literature ▁and ▁social ▁issues . ▁For ▁four teen ▁years ▁he ▁wrote ▁a ▁regular ▁food ▁column ▁for ▁The ▁Guardian . ▁ ▁Early ▁and ▁personal ▁life ▁ ▁Col in ▁Sp encer ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁in ▁Thor nt on ▁He ath , ▁London , ▁and ▁was ▁largely ▁brought ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁England . ▁▁ ▁From ▁an ▁early ▁age ▁he ▁knew ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁paint ▁and ▁write . ▁▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁Bright on ▁Gram mar ▁School ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁study ▁at ▁Bright on ▁Art ▁College , ▁but ▁he ▁feels ▁now ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁wh olly ▁self - ed uc ated . ▁▁ ▁His ▁colour ful ▁family ▁provided ▁his ▁youth ful ▁imagination ▁with ▁rich ▁material ▁for ▁his ▁later ▁nov els , ▁as ▁did ▁his ▁passion ate ▁emot ional ▁invol v ements ▁with ▁both ▁men ▁and ▁women . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁period ▁of ▁National ▁Service ▁as ▁a ▁pac if ist ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Army ▁Medical ▁Corps ▁in ▁war - rav aged ▁Hamburg . ▁▁ ▁He ▁has ▁subsequently ▁lived ▁in