What One Hour a Week Created for Us

It started with just one hour.

Every Friday evening, Gabriel and I would sit down, with no big plan, no agenda, and no pressure. Just an hour. An hour to imagine and to talk and space where anything was possible. An hour that would become the foundation of The Adventures of Gabriel.

We had no idea what we were building. There was no grand plan to publish a book, no vision of school workshops, radio interviews, or speaking at conferences. All we knew was that in the quiet of that hour, something meaningful was happening.

Gabriel was learning to trust his ideas. I was listening. Together, we were building a world, one sentence, one scribble, one sea monster at a time.

Why Just One Hour?

We found our one consistent hour a week, became a small sanctuary for creativity, connection, and conversation.

In that single hour each week, we created a space where:

• Imagination came first
• Feelings could be explored safely through characters and stories
• Confidence quietly blossomed
• And most importantly, we felt heard, together

What One Hour Became

That hour gave us The Adventures of Gabriel, a story of courage, curiosity, and emotional resilience, framed in fantasy but grounded in real life. It was illustrated by Gabriel’s grandfather, inspired by the storytelling spirit of his Bradford-born grandmother, and filled with Gabriel’s voice and vision.

And that story, born of one hour a week, has gone on to spark The Adventures of Bradford, a citywide storytelling initiative empowering children to share their own stories, build confidence, and process emotions through creativity.

A Reminder to All Parents, Carers, and Educators

It’s easy to think we need hours of free time, perfect plans, or elaborate resources to make something meaningful with our children. But what The Adventures of Gabriel taught me is this:

One hour. One week. One child. That’s enough.

Enough to build trust. Enough to spark creativity. Enough to make a difference that ripples far beyond the moment.

So if you’re wondering where to begin, start with one hour. Pick up a pen. Draw a map. Invent a character. Or just talk, about dreams, fears, hopes, and the worlds only your child can imagine.

You never know what might come of it.