A North East care home resident has published his first book after a tongue-twister project revived his passion for writing.
David Rigg, 77, who lives at Hazelgrove Court in Saltburn, wrote and self-published Gobbledygook, a collection of original tongue-twister tales.
The book launch will be held at Holly Blue Cards and Gifts on Milton Street, Saltburn, on October 29 at 2pm.
David Rigg, who lives at Hazelgrove Court in Saltburn, with his new book Gobbledygook, a collection of original tongue-twister tales (Image: Supplied)
Mr Rigg said: "The tongue twisters re-opened my creative side and I love to write tongue twister stories and am delighted to write my first book."
The retired Middlesbrough FC groundsman has not painted since moving into the care home.
Hazelgrove Court’s activities coordinator, Sharon Lewis, said: "This really got him going and he writes them daily.
"What I found so amazing is David is a fantastic artist but, since coming into the care home three years ago, he has not had the energy to paint and the tongue twisters have really reopened his creative side and given him a real purpose."
David Rigg, who lives at Hazelgrove Court in Saltburn, with his new book Gobbledygook, a collection of original tongue-twister tales (Image: Supplied)
The book grew out of a year-long programme of tongue-twister activities at Hazelgrove Court, launched in 2025 as part of the National Activities Providers Association’s Arts in Care Homes initiative.
Residents created a recycled orchestra from household materials, pairing each instrument with an original tongue twister.
The project caught the attention of Professor Alan Dunn, an art academic at Leeds Beckett University who wrote The Jingle Book about using sound and tongue twisters in dementia care.
After seeing the work online, Professor Dunn contacted Hazelgrove Court and joined its research project examining the benefits of tongue twisters in care settings.
Ms Lewis said: "I was really inspired, so I got in touch and Alan came to Hazelgrove to meet me.
"He wanted to work with me on a dementia research project about how tongue twisters can help people living in care."
Tongue twisters are now a regular feature at Hazelgrove Court, with sign-language versions, cultural sessions and a weekly challenge for residents and visitors.
Inspired by the activities, Mr Rigg began writing his own stories and compiled them into a book with encouragement from Ms Lewis.
He also contributes a monthly tongue twister to Saltburn’s Talk of the Town magazine.
Impressed by Mr Rigg’s work, Professor Dunn wrote the foreword to Gobbledygook and will attend the book signing.
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In his foreword, Professor Dunn wrote: "So begins his book of bemusing alliterative tongue twisters hand-written by David that are full of humour and observation.
"His twisters make more sense after seeing these detailed scenes, coming from somebody who enjoys moving words and sounds around a page and in the head just as much as he did with colours and lines on paper or canvas."
He said: "I love to write tongue twister stories and am delighted to write my first book."