The story of Mick Riley, a scruffy kid from Middlesbrough’s Thorntree council estate blessed with a winning smile and an infectious spirit of adventure. The Hollywood Fitter includes tales from Mick’s flirtation with the music industry, his emotional climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, his voyage across the Atlantic and memorable trips to Siberia, […]

Football manager Tony wanted his three sons to know about their grandfather, Clive Mowbray, who died before any of them were born. Clive was a hardworking scaffolder from Middlesbrough’s Cannon Street area who enjoyed a drink and a bet. But more than anything he was a family man who would do anything for sons Tony and Darren and daughter Karen. This was a private project with just 20 hardback copies produced for close family and friends. Although it is primarily about Clive, it was also an opportunity to tell the whole family history.

Alex Worrall didn’t do too badly for a kid from the East End of London who was kicked out of school when he was 16. He travelled the world, met presidents and hung out with rock stars, built up and sold businesses and made a few million quid along the way. An accountant by profession, […]

Ron was my first life-writing client and I’ll always be grateful to him for trusting me with such an important task. I’ve known him for many years but it was purely by chance that I discovered he had a burning ambition to write his own life story. Ron is a natural when it comes to storytelling. I gave him a long list of questions in advance and then was able to get all the information I needed in one four-hour interview at his home.