Author - Jamie Payne

Born in 1989 at the old Norfolk & Norwich hospital, I grew up in Cromer with my parents and younger brother. I attended all of the Cromer schools and spent one year studying at Paston College before dropping out. After a few odd jobs here and there I enrolled in the Hotel School at City College Norwich for a couple of years as I began a 10-year career in Catering and Hospitality, starting as a kitchen porter and working my way up through the chef ranks. I then cooked in care homes across Norfolk before supporting school kitchen teams across Norwich and Ipswich, had a stint as the Catering Manager for Cromer Pier and then assisted in managing the catering operation at Felbrigg Hall for The National Trust.

It was 2014 when Annie and I started our relationship. We had known each other for years beforehand and were always close friends, but one day everything just clicked. And the rest they say, was history!

Part of that history came in 2017 when our first son was born. I had always promised Annie that I would stop working in catering once we started a family so that I didn't spend 50, 60, 70+ hours a week at work. I was fortunate enough to land a job working in retail banking and achieved a much desired work-life balance. Never wanting to settle, I studied at home with the London Institute of Banking & Finance and obtained my CeMAP qualifications so that I could start working as a mortgage and protection adviser. Life then got a bit crazy in 2020 - son no.2, a global pandemic and a mental health breakdown meant I had to re-evaluate my plans and choices. I started working as a supermarket home delivery driver and it was genuinely the best job I ever had - I still work there now but part-time in store supporting the home delivery department.

Nowadays I balance that part-time job with looking after our young boys (currently 7 and 4 years old) and caring for my wife. My beautiful, loving Annie suffers from complex health conditions so first and foremost I look after her. She is my rock, my soul-mate and my best friend - and I will do anything for her. I love you to the moon and back, Annie.

How did I get to here, with writing and illustrating children's books? Well I have always had an interest in writing stories, ever since the early days of English lessons at Cromer High School. In my spare time I would often write short stories, sometimes based on myself in some warped or futuristic reality, and shared them with a few close friends at the time. I stopped writing as my 20-something years came and went, but since having more time at home over the past couple of years I have been able to dabble again in creative pursuits. I have occasionally dreamed of writing a fully-fledged novel but apart from a title and overall idea, it hasn't developed any further. I'm not degree-educated, haven't been on any 'writing retreats' and arguably don't have the knowledge or skills required to produce something that belongs on the fiction shelf in the top book stores (but then again, I've come to do this so who knows what the future will hold?). On the illustrating side of things, I have also had a life-long interest in drawing and designing. I studied Art and Graphic Technology during High School, purely out of an interest in the subjects as opposed to planning a future career path. Before and during the pandemic I operated a design business online and sold my designs on merchandise and clothing, primarily in the USA and Australia.

The inspiration for 'Biggle-Dink and Friends' comes from my children and the world around them. Our eldest son is autistic and has some special educational needs which at times has provided a steep learning curve, not just for him but for me as well as a parent. Understanding the emotions and feelings he goes through is essential to his upbringing and admittedly I have found it hard at times to adapt and provide what he needs. However, anyone who knows me will know how important my boys are to me and how any life decisions have to ensure their care is maintained or improved. Some of the ideas in the books are directly influenced by my eldest and his experiences, and it is my sincere hope that it will resonate with other children and their parents, carers and teachers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece about me. If there is anything else you would like to know, feel free to get in touch and I will do my best to elaborate!

Jamie

Some other facts about me! In High School I was appointed as Head Boy in the final year. In 2006 I fractured my spine and spent 3 months off work to recover. In 2010 I raised over £3000 for charity and travelled to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Depending on the manufacturer, my shoe size is on average a UK16/EUR51!