Local Government Lawyer Insight February 2018 LocalGovernmentLawyer 44 Service (‘SAS’) during the second world war (‘SAS Operation Galia’). This was my first attempt at a serious novel and it ended up forming part of my dissertation for the MA in creative writing at the Nottingham Trent University a few years ago. The book won the Impress prize for New Writers. I republished it in 2013 following some great reviews by famous military personnel and after many of the families of the Galia squad got in touch. Channel 4 have recently screened a series of documentaries on World War II escape stories and the third episode ‘Rossano’ tells the story of SAS Operation Galia and, in particular, how my father and his colleagues escaped from the pursuing enemy forces. Finding so much out about my dad’s army life after he had passed away was a really cathartic but rewarding experience. It was great to find so many photographs of my dad and his SAS pals hidden away in my mother’s drawer for so many years. To be able to piece together what happened in war torn Northern Italy over 70 years ago and to tell the story in the right way - in my father’s voice, was the toughest challenge I have taken on to date. Can you tell us your plans for the future? I would like to get more children’s books illustrated and published. I love reading to kids in schools, helping them to read and to use their imaginations to invent more stories. I have many more rhymes waiting to be illustrated (for example, Bumble Bee Ten – the bee who just wants to stand out from the swarm and make jam, lemon curd, anything but honey’). I have managed to get one other children’s book illustrated and to print to date – namely - Sidney Sneed – World famous footballing centipede and star of the mini- beast soccer league who ‘signed’ for Brentford FC a few years ago, bringing his particular brand of ‘grassroots football’ direct to schools in Brentford. As Sid’s agent I am ‘pitching’ him currently to the Premier League which is aiming to provide teaching resources to more than 10,000 primary schools by 2019. If we can export Sid’s amazing life-story (the highs and lows of being the talisman of the mini-beast football league) to all schools and football clubs in the UK who knows? I might even give up the law one day!