Shelley's man of words owes it all to his mates

Feb 26 2003 By Val Javin, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Val Javin

CRAIG Smith is living the dream.

"I'm a big believer in people having big dreams and little dreams. It might be people wanting to play at Wembley - that's the big dream. The other thing could be that they are doing well at work and it's a really clean company to work for." The smaller dream?

For Craig, it all seems pretty much the dream ticket at the moment. He and Scottish wife Fiona, she prefers to be called Fi, have been married for just two weeks.

His dad, Duncan, who still lives in Shelley, is newly married too. And tomorrow Craig returns to Huddersfield, his home town, to sign copies of his newly published book.

It's called A Quick Word With A Rock And Roll Late Starter, comprises one long poem in 23 sections and has got Craig "dreaming the dream."

His clearly is to make a living from his writing. He's got quite a few things tucked away. A screenplay, a TV sitcom (that's the best) and wouldn't mind giving up the day job to write full-time.

Though he needs to be careful with that one. For it was through his travels as a sales manager for a computer publishing firm that he met Fi, then working as a university book-seller in Glasgow, and it is not unknown for him to write as he travels.

"My area covers the south of England, Wales and Ireland. I travel on the train so I get chance to write."

He's got both the technology and the inspiration to write. "I 've got a palm pilot with a keyboard and the scenery is always changing so it's great to travel about.

"If you stop at a coffee shop or an airport and sit just for 20 minutes you can write. It can be quite a solitary job - you don't have people to distract you."