My dad is from Nottingham - although I've only been there twice in my life, with one being when my friend was at university there. I've always found it a friendly place and has a good night life.
Having travelled and lived and worked in many different places, I was keen to come back and settle in Nottingham, partly because my family are here, but also because Nottingham is such a vibrant city.
I won a competition in primary school for my painting of Nottingham's Goose Fair; it was a riot of colour with glitter and sequins.
I was in 'Babes in the Wood' at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow in the Eighties. I was the villain - the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham.
Where I am in Nottingham, there is a Sainsbury's, and you see children going in there buying take away food - a sandwich, but more likely a packet of crisps, a fizzy drink - and that's their breakfast.
Oh, I love Nottingham. I know some people go, 'Oh God, there's not much going off there,' but I like staying in and going round to my mum and dad's for a Sunday roast.
About five years ago, I was offered a contract by the Clifton Village Cricket Club in Nottingham, England. I was staying with one of my teammates there and everything was new for me.
It would have been very easy to drift into writing a non-fiction book so by taking it away from Nottingham I forced myself to imagine much more of it.
