YOU’RE GETTING BOOKED SNODDY
Writer lands top charity prize
Forget the adventures of Noddy. Children’s author Angela Proctor is basing her new book on the goalscoring exploits of Snoddy and friends.
Angela joined Scotland star Robert Snodgrass and the rest of the national squad on the official team plane as they won the first qualifier for the 2018 World Cup with a 5-1 victory over Malta.
Angela was delighted with her VIP access after paying £12,000 at a charity auction for the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.
She is planning to use the trip as inspiration for the latest instalment of Thumble Tumble, a witch based on the Isle of Arran. Angela, 46, who writes under the name AH Proctor, said: “In my book, the boys will become thistle pixies, a particularly ferocious team who get booked or sent off for good rather than bad behaviour.
“I’ m a g reat Scotland fan and it occurred to me that our team, while being very well behaved, is all about f ight i ng spirit.
“I wanted to see the players close up and study their characteristics, which I’m going to use for the thistle pixies in my book.
“I’m keeping a lid on who’s going to be in my final team selection – but my readers should be able to spot their favourites.”
The Scottish Football Association had offered a seat on the team plane and a VIP ticket to raise cash for the cancer centre.
Angela’s late mother Jessie Brown, 61, was treated for lung cancer at the Beatson.
The author, whose first book was a bestseller, said: “It worked well for me on two levels.
“First, I got to raise money for the Beatson, who treated my late mum so well.
“I wouldn’t be a writer today if it hadn’t been for her.
“I used to make up stories about Thumble Tumble for my two young children and mum encouraged
The players were so surprised after finding out they would star in my book
me. When she passed away two years ago, I was heartbroken and began writing the stories down to ease my grief.
“She would have been so proud to see them published.
“The second advantage was getting source material for my new book.
“The Scotland players were great with me, so gentlemanly and courteous, not at all like thistle pixies who bite and kick each other.
“They were a bit surprised when they learned that I was going to turn them into tiny kilt-wearing creatures with sticky-up purple hair and scowling faces but they were delighted.”
Angela, whose second book is about to be published, added: “The storyline in the third book involves the pixies playing a ferocious bal l game cal led eagalach, which is Gaelic
fofor ‘scary’. “It’s a cross between footballfo and war in whichwh the players get sentse off they aren’t vicious enough. “Thankfully, the real Scotland team can win by playing by the rules. “Al though I must confess tha t when Scotland went in at half-time at 1-1, I found it alall a bit ‘eagalach’. “However, Snoddy and the others came to the rescue and, as they say in mmy business, it was a fairytale ending.”