Firefighter turns his hand to writing children's stories

Jamie Croshaw with his book and one of its stars, his own seven-year-old daughter Darcey, at Edwinstowe Fire Station, where he works. (PHOTO BY: Alex Skennerton, of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service)

For 33-year-old Jamie has just had his first children’s book published, and he is looking forward to writing more.

‘Meet Crumb!’ is the tale of a magical creature and his adventures with an innocent, little girl called Darcey, a character named after and based on his own six-year-old daughter.

“I have been reading books and telling stories to Darcey since she was young, so we decided to try and come up with something of our own together,” said Jamie, who is a watch manager currently based at Edwinstowe fire station.

“We bounced ideas off each other and if I got a cheeky giggle from Darcey, I knew I was on the right track. If I got a confused face, I took it out!”

The final version tells the captivating story of how Darcey meets a creature called Crumb and is taken on an epic journey of fun, where ordinary human life collides with magic.

Written in a flowing rhyme that is ideal for children aged five to nine, it is beautifully illustrated and is sure to keep youngsters engaged and entertained.

“When the final manuscript was ready, I sent it off to a few publishers,” said Jamie. “One of them offered me a contract, but I decided to go down the self-publishing route with a firm called Troubador. That way, I could have more control.”

‘Meet Crumb!’ has only just appeared on the market, but it has already received a five-star review on Amazon. A customer wrote: “Brilliant children’s story. Well done, Jamie. We are very proud of you.”

As well as Amazon, the book is available, priced £6.99, at WHSmith, and if successful, Jamie says there could be many more in the pipeline, with the next one set to involve his other daughter, one-year-old Myla. Maybe even mum Stacey, 33, will get a look in too!

“I’ve always kept myself busy making up on-the-spot children’s stories to share with family and friends,” said Jamie, who went to Meden School in Warsop.

“Unfortunately, it hasn’t paid the bills up to now. But I’m testing the water with this first book to see how it goes.

“I have been a firefighter since 2002 and I really enjoy my work with the fire service. But if I could do more writing, it could help to give me more time to spend with the family.”