Paul Derrick can pin down his life-changing moment not just to the year and month, but to the time of day, too. At precisely 3.40pm on November 7, 2003, he realised he could work with spirit as a medium.

Visited by two sisters, both mediums, who spoke to him about spiritual matters, he heard the voice of a spirit guide who predicted TV and stage appearances and, suddenly, realisation dawned.

Now, Paul brings his amazing gift to his first major solo stage appearance as a psychic on stage at the Redgrave Theatre, Clifton, Bristol, on February 23.

"I'd had it all my life, I just didn't know what it was," said Paul, of Westbury Wiltshire, who heard voices in his head as a child but, as a teenager, began to block them out – until that fateful day in 2003. "It went absolutely mad from there. It really was fantastic."

Readers will remember Paul from last summer's ITV West series The Paranormal Five in which he appeared with the Warminster-based UK5 Paranormal investigation team.

But, as you might expect from his occupations as an engineer and as a retained fireman, Paul is a rather down-to-earth character.

His family readily accepted his new-found calling but his friends and workmates poked fun when he told them he could talk to dead people. He had to tell them he "didn't give a monkey's" what they thought.

Paul doesn't want to imitate celebrity psychics such as Derek Acorah and Tony Stockwell. "I don't want to follow in anybody's footsteps," he said. "I just want to make sure I'm portrayed the way I am. I've got two normal jobs and I want to keep my feet on the ground. I want to make sure I'm doing what I'm doing for the right reasons."

F or the future, Paul would love to do more stage and TV work. "But, ultimately, for me, it's making sure the right person gets the right message," he added. "I want to work with spirit properly."

In recent years, Paul has been growing in confidence. Now he sees his role as an envoy, passing on knowledge and understanding of the spirit world.

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Tickets for An Evening with Paul Derrick, Spirit Medium, at the Redgrave Theatre cost £10 each and can be obtained from the Colston Hall box office, 0117 922 3686, or www.colstonhall.org