Thoughts from Grandpa: Volume 1

I started to write poems for my grandchildren which would be amusing for them to hear, whilst at the same time explain some of the typical things that happen in life as they grew up. My three girls have always been an inspiration to me and to see them grow into responsible, well-balanced individuals with positive outlooks and a strong self-belief is truly rewarding.

The aim of this book was to create a framework for children to visualise the ‘topic’, have fun hearing or reading it, but at the same time be able to understand the moral and environmental stories that they tell. The books will not only entertain children but will become benchmark messages for how they should behave and react to situations. Written in simple language but introducing slightly more complicated words every now and then, the book will help children understand and extend their vocabulary and verbal understanding.

Children think in pictures long before they can read, and these books keep the pictures alive in their heads whilst their learning and development takes place.

My original thinking was to create sixty-second animated films for each topic, which could be shown as ‘interludes’ on children’s TV and as behavioural poems that children could learn from a very early age at nursery and primary schools, where the shaping of behaviour is most influential and most important.

Learning how to behave and understanding the things in life can be fun. I hope you think the same!

David Bailey was born and educated in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and left school at the age of 16, with 10 ‘O’ Levels. His dream was to go into professional football. When making his debut at the age of 19, he scored a goal, followed by a collision with the goalkeeper and a subsequent knee injury that ended his career on the day it started.

Taking further education in the sciences, he went on to be successful in industrial research before moving into sales, management and consulting, where he built a career in providing professional advice and training at the highest level in companies all over the world. In his working life, he was made redundant three times but did not let those experiences daunt his spirit.

In 2008, he created a new company, ‘Motormouse’, designing and marketing executive computer mice in the form of iconic motor cars. Following a highly rated performance in BBC’s Dragon’s Den and a successful partnership with James Caan, he developed a global brand for Motormouse in just four years before selling the company.

He has subsequently retired to the country to create and build wonderfully designed children’s mud kitchens, which have become synonymous with quality and creativity.

Writing poetry for fun and especially life stories in verse was always a hobby, which in recent times has turned into a series of children’s books titled Thoughts from Grandpa.