Tim Bailie
This is the where I’m supposed to tell you all about myself. Things like where I live, if I’m married, if I have any children, if I own a pet and if I’m as handsome as everyone says I am.
What I’d rather do, however, is tell you the one thing you really need to know about me… I love books!
From an early age, I could often be found with my nose in a book. I read whenever and wherever I could – under the bed covers, at the kitchen table, in a field, curled up on the sofa and, for some strange reason, quite often while sitting in a tree (not something I’d recommend - especially if you’re feeling sleepy!). Some of my happiest childhood memories are of visiting bookshops or mobile libraries and being greeted with endless possibilities of what to read next. I still experience that same tingle of anticipation and excitement when I visit my local library today.
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Game of Thrones author, George R. R. Martin once said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” Through books, I’ve lived more lives than I can remember. I’ve solved crimes with Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple. I’ve went on adventures with The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. I’ve booed Scrooge and the Grinch then cheered their change of hearts. I’ve played Pooh Sticks with Tigger and Eeyore. I’ve discovered a secret world at the back of a wardrobe. I’ve stood on a train platform beside Paddington and flown in a giant peach with James. I’ve been chased from a garden by Mr McGregor and discovered a Secret one in the Yorkshire Moors. I’ve hidden from Dracula and fled Frankenstein’s Monster. I’ve had Tea with the Mad Hatter and shared a picnic with Mole and Ratty. I’ve travelled through Giant Country, Neverland and Oz. And all without moving an inch! It’s said that everyone is the hero of their own story; the power of books is that they allow us to be part of someone else’s.
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That love of books has carried with me into adulthood, because what was true when I was a child remains true today - outside of our dreams, nothing can spark the imagination quite like a good book.
Oh, and for the record - I live in Larne, have one wife, three sons and a very cheeky Cocker Spaniel called Charlie (and yes, he’s named after the one with the Chocolate Factory!).
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As for handsome, that’s really not for me to say. So I’ve conducted a brief survey. I think people must have misunderstood the question so I’m unwilling to share the results at this time.