Tom Wiggins, Letter Carver & Writer

 I want to tell you about something that happened today while I was doing some shopping in Chipping Norton.  After a tour of the charity shops, I walked past a young woman selling The Big Issue.  I always try to buy The Big Issue whenever I see a vendor and I told her that I would need to draw some money out but that I’d be back with cash.  I went into Sainsbury's to get some groceries and withdrew £10 from the ATM outside.  I crossed back over the road and bought the £3 magazine (£1.50 of which will go to her) and gave her £2 extra as a tip.  She said that magazine was only the third one she’d sold that day and by this time it was around lunchtime.  I asked her if she was hungry and she said yes, and that she hadn’t eaten all day.  I said I’d be popping into Café Nero and asked if she wanted anything.  To her credit, she knew exactly what she wanted.  She asked for the chorizo slices with the bread and the cheese that comes in the box....

Please check out my friend Simon's blog, The Glass Walking-Stick  where he's also written a post on his Top 3 Teen Punk Songs.  Thanks to him for accepting my writing challenge, which I pitched to him a week ago.  I had a lot of nostalgia-filled fun writing this and I can tell from his post that he had great fun writing his.  So without further ado, here it is...  In the process of thinking and writing about this blog post, I’ve been reminded just how important your teenage years are.  You pick up hobbies and interests, sometimes influenced by your friends’ hobbies and interest but sometimes through your own exploration of your own likes and dislikes and you go on a journey with it.  These years can be turbulent, confusing, messy, but the turning-over of the ground beneath you is perhaps what makes the teenage landscape so fertile for growth.   I’m always reminded of this at work.  The workshop is next to my boss’ house and three of his ...