But, to a kid, two dreams are better than one. And about the age of 11 I decided I wanted to be a writer as well.

I was a rather chatty and communicative youngster. But while my parents are no doubt to thank for my love of words, my dreams of writing were inspired by two books.

Come On, Ossie! was first published in 1985, but reprinted by Fontana Young Lions in 1987.  Ossie Goes Supersonic was published in 1986, but reprinted in 1988.

Both were written by the Scots-born Hunter Davies, and both were devoured, circa 1994, and in monster bites, by the English-born me.

Sometimes it’s better not to revisit fond memories past, but I’ve recently been wondering:

1. Why was I so enthralled?
2. Why did I later seek out Davies’ other works?

So last week, in preparation for this post, I ordered both Ossie books from Amazon Marketplace (combined cost 2p, excluding postage). When they arrived I genuinely felt I’d been reacquainted with friends.

Neither are ‘original’ prints; instead they’re 1987/8 Young Lions copies identical to those I had my mits on. But all the better.

Though I’m an advocate for eBooks, I’m far from devoid of sensory investment in the physical. The look, feel and smell of the two Ossie stories are laden with memories.

Though in truth the old paper smells just of…well, old paper, it conjures memories of a school bookshelf, and of windy autumnal break times enjoyed inside with book in hand.

The look of each is heart-warming as well. Endearingly and unobtrusively illustrated by Malou (though who or what Malou is or was I don’t know) the images are at once immediately familiar and new again.

Flipping the first of the two books over, it doesn’t take long to see why I might have been yanked into wide-eyed fascination:

“Ossie Osgood ate like a horse, but he never seemed to grow any bigger or fatter. His grandfather told him that if he exercised on a coat hanger every day for ten minutes after school he’d soon develop muscle, but Ossie couldn’t wait…and one day he discovered a much quicker way to grow up.” ~ (Come on, Ossie! – Synopsis)

‘Old before my years’ I was called as a lad, but to me I was just another boy wanting to be bigger and older. Doesn’t every kid? Ossie did and we shared more besides.

I ate like a horse as did Ossie. Ossie loves football and dreams of playing for Spurs. I loved football and dreamed of playing for Arsenal. Clearly Ossie isn’t perfect.

Ossie read comics. I shared a Beano subscription. He’s fond of using and abusing new words. I loved and love words to this day; the newer the better.

It’s even written in the opening pages of Come On, Ossie!:

Ossie would really have liked to have been called Kevin or Wayne, Darren or Glenn – really good names, the sort of names real people had, not that stupid Oswald name.

But perhaps more important than Ossie’s wishing to be called Kevin (and a no doubt secret love of Arsenal) is this: Through the Ossie books, Hunter Davies spoke directly to my sense of imagination, perspective and, thinking on it now, childhood.

With an irreverent humour so easily appreciable in a young mind open to possibilities and so interested in oddity, Davies essentially nailed his target audience. I don’t doubt that I enjoyed these books more than others, but I doubt few young boys found them exactly easy to put down.

Ossie is a typical boy of his age. That I associated with him quite so well perhaps had an element of chance to it. Chance that one day I picked Come On, Ossie! up at all. Chance that I liked football and shared other connections.

But that Davies created a 10/11 year old character and his world, filled with dreams of the future and unusual adventures, so colourfully in these books is a testament to his skill as a writer.

Yet even as a boy, although I was captivated by the story, I was also interested (or at least aware of) Davies ability to hook me in to it.

It would be a few years before I was properly studying Literature – and more years before I formally studied the craft of writing itself – but my young brain knew what Davies was doing was important.

And I wanted to do it too. And so after my encounters with the Ossie books, my outlook on writing changed.

“You can be a writer”, they might have said to me. And “you can relate stories as fascinating and imagined as these”. It seemed important, powerful and of benefit.

And so to an 11 year old with huge energy levels and a larger set of hopes, a second dream was born. And, really, it’s thanks to Ossie Osgoode and Hunter Davies.

–

Hunter Davies, now 76, still plies his trade. He writes (of course) a football column for the New Statesman. One that I have started to read religiously.

Not of my writing here, but of the indecisive and scatter-gun approach that has characterised my blogging. 

This is my working home on the web, so it’s time I concentrate on work and put this blog to good use.

What better way to use it then than to dedicate it to writing, and the art of it.

Researching articles, ensuring I’m up to date on the latest news and information (which is by no means a perfect science), and maintaining a modest Twitter profile.

Well, these things and more start me on a labyrinthine discovery of things I enjoy, things I remember and things that, be it Gawker, IttyBiz, Kick or the Beeb, I make a little note of and think are worth revisiting.

As a former full-time tech journo, I’m used to being asked for recommendations on the latest gadgets and gizmos.

So, now I spend much of my time on the web I thought I’d offer my recommendations on what to have a gander at if you haven’t already.

Tech

So where do we start? With Jason Gilbert of the Huffington Post. Lots has been made of the Apple iPhone’s ‘Siri’, the highly useful, ask-it-any-thing, virtual assistant.

Well, after the production of the Apple “Rock God Advert”, Mr Gilbert thought he’d check out it’s ever so cool claims. It’s genius, and not Siri:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Keeping on the tech trail, British processor manufacturer ARM says – sort of- that fridges and other appliances would benefit from being connected to the Internet.

Um, not unless you there’s security in place. I spoke to the guys at Kaspersky Labs about this back in 2009, and anything connected to the net can be a target for hackers. This is not a new concern, and doesn’t bode well for your coffee.

Sport & Leisure

Those of you that know I’m running this year’s London Marathon may know that I’m…running this year’s London Marathon (I’m also fundraising, and you can help change lives by sponsoring me here).

You may also know of Run Dem Crew. What is Run Dem Crew? Well this is a good introduction to a great group of people:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also, if you’re a lady, you might well be interested in Spikes + Heels, ‘The Fitness Site for Badass Women’, created by RDC member @BangsAndABun

Finance

My financial nous is such that I don’t consider myself in a position to write with much authority on the subject.

However, I’m not the 15 year-old Robert Louis Stevenson who, even if he necessarily ploughed through cash at an incredible rate back in the 1860s, at least knew how to ask his father for a little more.

The horror, the HORROR!

I’m sitting in a library. Why? Because sitting at home all day has become a little bit tedious. So I decided I’m now a library person. Packing myself off with my laptop, was the easy part.

Since my casual stroll down the High Street, I bought a bottle of water and earned the mistrust of the stall holder by double checking it wasn’t sparkling. Have my social skills become so rusty so quickly?

But I’m here, so what do I do?

First stop, the front desk. There I found out that wi-fi is free (perfect potion for the self-employed), and that I could go anywhere in the building. Anywhere.

I opted for the quiet back of the first floor, until I realised that the reason the chairs were oddly shaped were due to it being the kids area. Kids like noise don’t they? I’m not sure I understand the logic here.

In the Adult Learning section at the front of the first floor, where I currently am, the windows are single-glazed, meaning that any intention of silence within is put to the sword of sirens and buses. Great.

But at least I’m in a place of learning. With those fine intentions.

What’s about me of note? A man wearing  - not without irony, it would seem – light pink chinos. To my left are, actually, actual, several Mills and Boons….publications, and the air smells faintly of burned cheese straws. Or that could be the smell of overcooked cliché wafting from their pages.

To keep my concentration on the writing tasks in hand I’m listening to Spotify. I can remind myself that I came here for peace and quiet – not to listen to Camera Obscura and Explosions In The Sky – but songs are better than engines.

Now I’m typing this blog post. Why? Nobody’s paying me for it. Perhaps it’s an investment. To prove to myself that I can write in my new found place of writing.  Because the second thing I’m learning about Self-Employment is to choose your places of freelancery carefully.

And not to choose a table which you have to thrust your thighs up under to stop from rocking back and forth.

And that intentions count for very little.

Oh look, an email!

You’ve got to be quick off of the mark, positive, diligent and you’re own best marketeer. It can be a little frustrating of course, but blowing your own trumpet is a useful skill to have to learn if you’re not one who naturally does.

Thing is, I know precisely what I’m capable, but even with almost six years of journalistic experience behind me that still doesn’t count as much from time to time. In the copywriting stakes for example. I accept I’m a wildcard, an unknown quantity. Not worth a risk perhaps. Well, I don’t think Dennis Publishing would agree.

The chance I was given there by my first Editor I took with both hands and went in every day determined to do my best and more. I realised recently that I never really took a holiday in five years. Christmas break aside, the most time I took off at once was four days. I suppose I Didn’t really want to. I was good at what I did and I enjoyed it.

Earlier this week I put a tweet out on Twitter saying something along the lines of “creative copywriter open to freelance projects”. I was questioned by a friend as to why I didn’t give much more information about myself or even a link here.

Perhaps it wasn’t very good business sense, but the reason was this: I don’t believe the best writers should limit themselves. So, in order to be the best writer possible I try not to. I’ve been a technology journalist sure, but I’ll write on most things put in front of me, and know I can produce high quality assortments of words in most situations.

For pity’s sake, I’m a guy who will just as soon deconstruct articles as read them, has a default editing mind when reading for entertainment, and will correct marketing campaigns on instinct. I write (sort of) funny things. I also write things about the philosophy of poetry – I can’t link to that just yet. Can I write copy to entertain on websites, ad campaigns or anything else, and take constructive criticism and still come back again? Can I engage an audience? Yes.

Can I be clever with slogans? Yes. Can I punctuate properly and use genuinely solid grammar? Most of the time, and my puns are an acquired taste, but the point is that while it’s all fine and well for people to want experienced people (it’s like being a graduate again), it’s knowing what you can do – actually knowing, not like an unfortunate X-Factor entrant – what you are capable of that should keep you driving forward.

But then that’s why it’s good to have places of your own to display work. Like here. I know I’m a decent writer, not because I have a website, nor because I’m egotistical (far from it, I’m told enough I’m far too quiet), but because of the responses I get.

The feedback from and comments on my writing are good. And while it’s possible friends and families are supporting me in a delusional pursuit, it’s not very likely my employers have or are. So if any companies or individuals don’t want to take a chance on me that’s fine. It’s there prerogative.

I just remember that once a manager at WH Smith turned me down for a job once. I’d probably have been stacking the magazine shelves if I’d got it. Funny how things go that instead I ended up in a magazine upon them. So I’m not bitter, just positive.

In any case, it’s not like I’ve not dealt with rejection before. Full steam ahead!

P.S: Oh, one last thing. Some of you will know that I’m running a marathon. If you do and you haven’t sponsored me yet, or you didn’t and you’re now wondering

Fantastic, can I support you?

Yes you can. Here’s the link, and all support is very greatly received. Add gift aid if you can. I need to raise £1,000 by 23rd March, so the clock is ticking! I’ll be posting updates on my facebook group/event, and anyone can join!

Perhaps I am working, and just not getting paid. After all a friend of mine suggested that to be self-employed is to be in the land of the quantum pay-cheque, and what a perfectly poetic turn of phrase that is. He went on:

At all times there is and isn’t a pay-cheque available.

It’s true. I don’t think dwelling on that too much is healthy, but it does rather describe the possibilities of the situation.

With a house move but one week away, I’ve seen this fortnight as a chance to get my brain into gear and start planning various things. Mainly how to hunt down those cash-shaped particles, but also to think which cash-shaped particles I’d rather be hunting, and which are more likely to radiate a presence.

I’m not much of a financial physicist, I’ll grant you, but I’ve a feeling such skills will come in handy. I’m peppering the great slice of opportunity I seem to have in front of me with a particularly large dusting of realism. Hence the website work (and the new work and experience section), hence the LinkedIn refresh, and hence the constant querying of self-employed friends and families about the whys and wherefores.

I’ll admit it, it’s a strange new land with some foreign rules. But I like exploring, I’ve skills I know are useful, and my game could prove to translate perfectly.

What I do know is that you can’t be paid for doing nothing. But the positive thing is, I don’t intend to test that.