IT will not surprise those who knows me now to hear that I was a bit of an awkward geeky child — not that there is anything wrong with that.

In fact, I'm still pretty awkward. And geeky.

I wanted to be a journalist from an early age — despite hating English lessons and reading.

But there was something about wanting to see my name in print that captured my imagination — so I would write letters to papers and magazines.

I once wrote to the Bolton Evening News — or the BEN — as a 15-year-old and had my letter printed on the sports pages.

I was outraged at my beloved Whites treatment of the legendary commentator Dave 'ding-dong-do' Higson, whose services were dispatched with after we first won promotion to the Premier League.

Before then, my gran — an avid reader who would criticise everything about the paper but still buy it religiously — would urge me to enter competitions in the BEN — some readers may remember the kids' club was called the Bennies.

I must have been the only one entering, because I won at least three different prizes, including a Fathers' Day competition where I wrote in to tell readers how great my dad was.

I was particularly proud of my old man's soup-making skills — there must have been a dearth of entries that year if opening up a can of Heinz tomato made him the best dad in Bolton.

They went with the headline 'Soup-er Dad' and we won a shopping trip to Lewis's where my dad was treated to a new outfit. He still has the jumper my mum picked out for him.

We then had to pose up for a photograph in Deansgate — my dad in his new gear and me perched on his shoulder.

Appearing in the BEN was a right of passage for youngsters in Bolton — my name was once printed after a particularly impressive cricket performance for Eagley CC U13s seconds (36 not out), and our school football team (High Lawn Primary) also won the schools league in 1991 and our team picture made it into the paper.

After a few years in the wilderness (I forgot I wanted to be a hack and went off to study physics then briefly became a teacher) I came to my senses and landed my dream job as a trainee reporter here at Bolton News towers. I was delighted to find that the two pictures were still in the archives.

n What are your memories of growing up in Bolton? Email me or send me a tweet.