One of the few joyous times I recall spending with my mother was being driven home from university at the end of my first term. Over a journey, of what must have been some 4 or more hours, I would make up silly rhyming songs. Today, I would imagine that being very irritating indeed - at least after a while. But at the time it strangely wasn’t and it helped the journey pass.

Some days later, my mother bought me a book by Dr Seuss. I don’t remember which book it was, although it was probably one that featured a cat in a hat. The gift of that book marked a celebration of just being creative, silly, spontaneous and without fear - albeit with a non-critical audience of one.

It is hard to believe that I was 18 at the time, as this still seems to me like such a childlike memory. Which is kind of my point.

Throughout university, as an individual and in collaboration with some friends who formed the Salford Poetry Grope (sic), I/we wrote daft poems and short stories. I also made an attempt to record dreams each morning; a process that seemed to improve my recall (even if it was sometimes triggered by some seemingly unrelated event later in the day) and increase the frequency of those dreams.

Many of the dreams consisted of being able to fly (which would get me out of all kinds of scrapes) and the ability to breathe under water.

That urge to be silly would emerge later in my professional life and, despite it not always featuring at the most appropriate moments, it almost certainly acted as a pressure release valve . Not only for me but, barring the occasions when it must have been a little irritating and off-topic, for those that worked with me.

Dabbles with creative writing and, consequently, many unfinished attempts at short stories, ideas for books, plays, etc. were created and filed (or lost). This is probably an all too familiar tale of “life got in the way”.

Then I thought, to quote one of my granddaughters who is a mad keen Frozen fan, let it go.

And here we are.

Welcome to my website, feel free to browse and either enjoy or walk away.