Dad realising dream after losing his job
FATHER’S WRITING INSPIRED BY HIS SON’S JOURNEY BACK TO HEALTH
A BRANSHOLME dad has decided to o “reinvent” himself after losing his job b as a result of the coronavirus pandemic c and also being inspired by his son’s s recovery from cancer.
Paul Amess has begun to realise his s long-held dream of being a full-time e writer, this month bringing out his third d book that combines two of his loves in n life, walking and history.
“I am trying to reinvent myself to o support my family,” said Mr Amess, the e father of four sons, including Sam, who o was diagnosed with liver cancer the e day before his 12th birthday, in 2015.
Having previously worked in the civil l service, Paul was enjoying his role look- ing after the media suite at the KCOM M stadium when the Covid-19 crisis hit.
“After the first lockdown, and losing g my job due to coronavirus, I turned my y hand to writing.
“I also graduated from Hull University this year with a first in politics, but have graduated at the worst time since the Great Depression of the 1930s and have struggled to get a job, hence the writing to try to make a living.”
Mr Amess’s works are based on the walks he has done, with a strong emphasis on Yorkshire and Hull in particular.
“I always try to find out about the history of the places I walk through and always manage to find links back to the people and history of Hull, of which I am very proud,” said Mr Amess, who was born in his parents’ Sutton Park home in the city.
His first two books, 54 Degrees North, which describes a walk across England, and Rambling On, about tackling the Cleveland Way, are both in the top 40 on Amazon’s travel section.
“For the first book, I got a map and I thought, what can I do? I drew a line across England at 54 degrees latitude, from Ulrome, near Skipsea, to Lancaster and followed the route as closely as I could.
“As I went along, I’d meet people and say to them, tell me a few facts about this village, just to get me started, and I learned so much about all the places I was passing through.”
His newest work, Coast Finding Wainwright’s includes many fascinating
Amess uncovered on his to Coast: England, facts Mr 192-mile hike from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay.
The coronavirus crisis gave Mr Amess an opportunity to complete the book he had begun four years ago, he said, adding that, as a family, they had coped very well with the pandemic.
“When my son was ill, we spent seven months in a 12ft sq room with him, and when you have experienced that, it puts everything into perspective.”
Sam, now aged 17, had rounds of chemotherapy and a liver transplant after being diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer.
“He had stage four cancer and we were told there was no treatment and to enjoy the last four weeks we would have with him,” said Mr Amess, who is married to Leeanne.
“This changed the course of our lives for our whole family, and I am pleased to say that Sam continues to do well and has now been in remission for five years.
“It is this which encouraged me to quit my job, get a degree and become a writer, as we really do only have one life and should make the most of it.”
Mr Amess is accompanied on his walks by anyone who fancies joining in: he sometimes manages to coax sons Sam, Harvey, 14, Max, 10, and Ben, 22, from a previous marriage, along on his rambles.
“When they get out there, they do enjoy it.”
Mr Amess’s books are
Amazon. available on