Adrian Mole: the secret diary of an emotional investor, aged 52 and ¾

Adrian Mole, everyone’s favourite fictional teenage diarist, turned 52 this year. The hit West End musical means a new generation of fans are discovering the 13¾-year-old’s musings, but those of us who remember Sue Townsend’s hugely popular books the first time around are left feeling decidedly ancient. How could Adrian, a cult figure throughout our school years, possibly be approaching the age where he could cash in a pension?