Ken Dodd's widow saves 'invaluable' notebooks that he wanted to go up in flames

Before he died, comedy legend Sir Ken Dodd left his wife instructions to burn hundreds of private notebooks that he filled with jokes and thoughts about his life and seven-decade career.

However, she has revealed that after he ed away in 2018, she decided they were too important to destroy.

Lady Dodd saved the books and is now putting a number of them on public display for the first time.

They are "unique" and "invaluable", she told BBC News.

Ten notebooks feature in an exhibition alongside memorabilia like Sir Ken's famous Diddymen puppets and tickling sticks at the Museum of Liverpool, in his home city.

The 10 have been chosen from about 1,000 surviving books in which the comedian recorded jokes - marking the best with the acronym GOG for "good old gag".

He also made observations about the art of comedy, while some pages give insights into intimate and revealing thoughts.

The comedian noted his doubts about his famously lengthy performances, which would often stretch for several hours.

"I am ruining my life by doing such long shows," he wrote. "I am spoiling the quality of my lifestyle by being so self-indulgent and egotistical. I must take some material out."

The books also disclose how he critiqued his shows, making long lists of his routines and rating how each one went down with the audience - from poor to very good.

"A lot of it was self-critical," Lady Dodd said of the contents of the notebooks. "And some very deep thoughts. And once in a while, he'd say how happy he was doing what he did."

The comedian also drew "mind maps" about topics including showbusiness, which featured spider-like offshoots representing subjects ranging from jokes, theatres and TV shows to superstitions, stage fright and nerves.

Sir Ken insisted that the books should be destroyed after his death, Lady Dodd told BBC entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson.

"He told me several times in the latter years of his life - he did say, 'You will burn everything when I'm gone? You will burn all my notebooks, won't you">Brentford agree a deal with Liverpool for goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, with Bees number one Mark Flekken set for a move to Bayer Leverkusen.