Alan Williams

I was born in Bristol on 14 of April 1936. I experienced the first Bristol blitz and, after further raids, I was evacuated to Somerset, finally settling in Cheddar.

Before my father was called up, he had regularly read to me from Rupert annuals, pointing out the words. So, by four I could read fluently. My love of reading and writing earned me a scholarship to Merrywood Grammar School where I received an excellent education. I was introduced to drama, basketball, cricket and Youth Hostelling and from a shy lad I was transformed into… who I am today.

I obtained 9 GCE “O” levels and 2 “A” levels. It was inevitable I would choose teaching as my career  I trained as a mature student at St Luke's College, Exeter, and obtained my first post as a teacher at Speedwell Boy’s School, Bristol. 

Here I coached the school Basketball team, then the Bristol Boy’s basketball team, whilst playing for Merrywood Old Boy’s in the South West Basketball League.

I had joined the 22nd company of the Boy’s Brigade attached to Victoria Methodist Church, where I rose up to lieutenant. As a sergeant in the Brigade, I drilled the company in the Bristol Battalion Drill Cup, which we won.

In 1959 I was taking the Life Boy’s (Junior BB) at Victoria Church when I joined a club at the church which was putting on a show. I ended up taking the lead in a one-act play and became engaged to my co-star. We tied the knot 2 years later, on St George’s Day 1962. My mother had warned me, “Miss Right will come along!” She was correct!  My wife’s maiden name was Christine Wright. Children came along. Four in just over 5 years, Janet, Martyn, Caroline and Philip.

When I was teaching science, I used to tell stories to illustrate concepts that the pupils were not familiar with. With my own children, I had to tell bedtime stories. I wanted them to interact with the story. 

In the summer we had annual holidays at Sandy Bay, Exmouth, spending time looking at rock pools. There I conceived the idea of creatures living in the sea and observing what the humans were up to. Thus, Charlie Crab was born. 

As the stories would be coming straight out of my head I needed time to think of the actual tale. This is why every story starts and ends in the same way. This meant I could get the children to mime and join in the words. They were the storytellers as well. It became a very popular ritual, and every story was theirs, not mine.