Scannell, who died last year aged 85, grew up in Aylesbury in the 1930s and attended the former Queens Park School, which he left at age 14.

Older townspeople will remember him as the boxerpoet John Vernon Bain, his birth name from when he lived with his brother Kenneth and sister Sylvia above their father's photography shop in Kingsbury.

For a number of years he boxed both professionally and as an amateur.

His poetry, and other writings, are known across the country, but until now he has been neglected in the town where he grew up.

Scannell's old school is now the Queens Park Arts Centre and they are hosting the third national celebration of Scannell's life and work to take place this year.

Today (Saturday October 25) at 2pm Anne Harvey will lead readings of Scannell's poetry and prose, including his superb evocation of Aylesbury when it was a quiet market town, and his reactions to what he found when he returned 40 years later, taken from his autobiography, Drums of Morning.

Later, at 8pm, there will be a poetry and jazz evening, with the Michael Garrick Trio.