Born on the outskirst of Durham City and until the age of 40 never lived more than 5ml distance from the cathedral. Despite living in near poverty for many years, the oldest in a family of four, managed to break into grammar school the first year it opened its doors to the riff raff. Previously Durham Johnston was a school for an elite few. I first met Pat, my wife to be, at the age of 11 while walking a common route home from seperate schools. Within a year my family moved into a new  estate a few miles distant (like being on the opposite side of the moon in those days). Our paths did not cross again until we were 17 and neither immediately recognised the other. But that did not matter because the bond was immediate (some might say incandescent) and lasts to this day. We had to wait until we were 21 to marry as both parents disapproved of mixed faith (catholic/protestant) marriage. How times have changed. We are now approching our 59th year of marriage.Jimmy Crikey, the subject of my children's stories, was born on a seaside holiday over 40 years ago, to entertain my then 4 year old son, and his new found beach buddies, during a showery afternoon while sheltering in our beach tent. "Can't you keep them quiet?" Pat asked. "How?" I responded. "Read them a story, or something." she suggested. "But all the books are back at the hotel". "Well, make one up, then," was Pat's response.So, for the first time ever I made up a story on the spot and over the course of the following days more chapters were demanded to entertain the exhuberant boys. They loved the idea of a red haired, bullied boy who overcame every obstace and rose to be a hero and the friend of Earth's four witch guardians and Lord Oron, the Weatherman. Forty years later those stories were committed to the written word and they and other offerings are now available in print from Amazon. Now retired from a long career in technical sales in home and export markets I devote a large proportion of my time, when not caring for my disabled wife, to writing and promoting my children's stories. I will never make a fortune, nor even cover costs, but the satisfaction that I might contribute to keeping another group of kids quiet, while they absorb my stories, is almost reward enough.