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Craig Briggs

Goodreads Author

Born

in Huddersfield, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.journeytoadream.co.uk

Genre

Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel

Member Since

August 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/craigspain

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If life deals you a bad hand, don’t fold, take a chance; a good player will always come out on top.

Craig Briggs was born on the 12th of July 1962, in St. Luke’s Hospital, Huddersfield, the second child, and only son, of Donald and Glenys Briggs. The birth of their daughter had been a joy. The arrival of Craig would make the family complete. Unfortunately, Craig was not a ‘normal’ lad; he’d been born with congenital feet deformities.
Unaware of his disability, Craig got on with life as any infant would. His first birthday brought a gift that would change his life forever. A marvel of modern engineering, manufactured by J.E. Hanger and Co. of London for and on behalf of the National Health Service. Bespoke footwear gave him what the Vespa had If life deals you a bad hand, don’t fold, take a chance; a good player will always come out on top.

Craig Briggs was born on the 12th of July 1962, in St. Luke’s Hospital, Huddersfield, the second child, and only son, of Donald and Glenys Briggs. The birth of their daughter had been a joy. The arrival of Craig would make the family complete. Unfortunately, Craig was not a ‘normal’ lad; he’d been born with congenital feet deformities.
Unaware of his disability, Craig got on with life as any infant would. His first birthday brought a gift that would change his life forever. A marvel of modern engineering, manufactured by J.E. Hanger and Co. of London for and on behalf of the National Health Service. Bespoke footwear gave him what the Vespa had given the youth of the fifties: freedom and independence. They weren’t quite as stylish as an Italian built scooter but he didn’t care. From now on, Master Briggs was on the move and no one would hold him back.
Over the next five years a series of surgical procedures changed the way he moved. When the time came, his mum walked him to school like any other proud parent and his dad gave him his first and only piece of worldly advice. ‘If anyone hits you, hit ’em back.’
With one exception, his mind proved sharper than his boxing prowess. Academia was not really his thing; he found it difficult to concentrate on anything that didn’t interest him.
In May 1980 he left college and entered the employment market. Margaret Thatcher was busy dismantling British industry and unemployment was running at a post-war high. He signed on to receive unemployment benefit and spent the summer lounging around the house watching the Wimbledon Tennis Championship on telly. As the tournament drew to a close, parental pressure to find work intensified. In September, during one of his many visits to the Job Centre, a job card caught his eye: ‘Wanted: trainee retail managers’.
Five hundred and sixty applicants chased six positions. He pleaded his case at an interview and ended up being selected. After a two-week training course in the seaside town of Southport, he passed with honours, achieving the rank of assistant manager. When asked where he’d like to ply his newfound retail skills, he chose London, a city paved with gold.
In October 1980, he left Huddersfield a naive child, and returned three and a half years later a wiser and more mature young man. A brief period of letting his hair down followed, catching up on lost time and lost youth. During these wild and hedonistic months, he met the love of his life and future wife, Melanie.
His career in retail spanned six and a half years with five different companies but to realise his dream he would have to go it alone. Not long after his twenty-sixth birthday, he handed in his notice. His future lay in leather jackets. Unfortunately, no one shared this vision and his aspirations fell at the first hurdle.
The prospect of returning to the retail trade pushed him into pursuing a different path. He reached a compromise and worked as a self-employed agent for one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. The job title, Financial Consultant, exaggerated the role. In reality he was nothing more than a desperate insurance salesman. Life was hard and the insurance industry ruthless. Trying to sell a product that nobody wants, and which by its nature will never benefit the payee, is not easy. Unlike most recruits, he managed to survive and learnt some difficult but valuable lessons.
His ‘Big Break’ came when he was asked to invest in a fledgling printing business. The first year’s accounts showed greater losses than actual sales. Against all professional advice he jumped at the chance, re-mortgaged his house and bought an equal stake.
By accident rather than design, he’d finally found his true vocation. The company was losing money hand over fist. The bank had taken a second charge on the partners’ homes and his investment was swallowed up in a ...more

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Craig Briggs’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 1,910 ratings · 117 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Journey to a Dream (The Journey, #1) 3.89 avg rating — 521 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Beyond Imagination: When the adventure of a lifetime becomes a lifetime of adventures (The Journey #2) 4.30 avg rating — 247 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Endless Possibilities: Sunny skies and mountains high (The Journey #3) 4.38 avg rating — 216 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Driving Ambition: Life in the slow lane (The Journey Book 5) 4.42 avg rating — 186 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Opportunities Ahead: Learn from the past, live in the present and always look forward to the future (The Journey, #4) 4.49 avg rating — 173 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Discerning Traveller: Let every new day broaden your horizons (The Journey Book 6) 4.46 avg rating — 165 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Season To Remember: Finding the right balance without tipping the scales 4.42 avg rating — 159 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Excellent Vintage (The Journey Book 8) 4.31 avg rating — 126 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pandora's Box 4.22 avg rating — 81 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Life In A Foreign Land (The Journey Book 9) 4.50 avg rating — 36 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Craig Briggs's Blog

You Can Forget Seven Years in Tibet

Nineteen years ago today, Melanie and I arrived in Galicia, Spain to begin what has been an amazing journey. Who would have thought that we would rent a Swiss-style house for twelve months, buy a tiny bungalow and build it into a Mediterranean-style villa, purchase a rural farmhouse, restore it and sell it to buyers from the States, acquire a romantic ruin and convert it into a luxury holiday let, Read more of this blog post »

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Published on May 09, 2021 05:19

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Series by Craig Briggs

The Journey (9 books)
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Craig Briggs (Goodreads Author)

4.25 avg rating — 1,829 ratings

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Craig and 5 other people liked Rebecca's review of Life In A Foreign Land (The Journey Book 9): "Amazingly this is Craig's ninth book in the Journey series and it's another winner. I thoroughly enjoy reading about their ongoing adventures in Galicia and their winter holidays in southern Spain. One thing for sure, it's never dull! Relaxing holida" Read more of this review »
Jan 12, 2023 09:25AM · see review
Craig and 1 other person liked Marianne Budney's review of A Season To Remember: Finding the right balance without tipping the scales:
Jul 18, 2021 04:55AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Season To Remember by Craig Briggs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Season To Remember by Craig Briggs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Craig and 1 other person liked Lisa Harlow's review of A Season To Remember: Finding the right balance without tipping the scales: "Another great read and peek into the lives of Craig and Melanie and their lives in Galicia…and their Christmas break to the Costa del Sol, including lots of police activity I have read all 7 books in the last 3 weeks and am sad that there are no more " Read more of this review »
Jul 18, 2021 04:54AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Season To Remember by Craig Briggs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Season To Remember by Craig Briggs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Craig liked Marc Saunders's review of Opportunities Ahead: Learn from the past, live in the present and always look forward to the future (The Journey, #4):
Jul 18, 2021 04:51AM · see review

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Quotes by Craig Briggs (?)

“As well as writing, 2004 saw my first attempt at wine making: the elixir of life. Unfortunately, my effort tasted more like the elixir of death.”
― Craig Briggs, Journey to a Dream

tags: autobiography, memoir, spain, travel

2 likes

“The last time I’d spoken French I was twelve years old; before I reached my thirteenth birthday the teacher had correctly steered me into woodwork classes.”
― Craig Briggs, Endless Possibilities: Sunny skies and mountains high

tags: memoir, spain, travel

1 likes

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