31/12/2025
Facebook memories reminded me yesterday that 16 years ago I had the most unexpected phone call while chilling at home with my partner and my best friend. It was early afternoon and I’d gone back to bed for one of those twixtmas naps. I’d just started to drift off when the landline rang out. Moments later, my partner comes in to the bedroom, holding the phone with his hand over the mouthpiece, looking a little shocked. “It’s Henry Winkler” he said, “The Fonz is on the phone. He wants to speak to you.”
So, there I am, sat up in bed with my partner and best friend sat at the foot of the bed, listening in, whilst Mr Winkler and I chatted for a good ten minutes. Of course, it wasn’t some strange coincidence that the Fonz called me. I had engineered the opportunity. Although, I never really expected it to ever come to anything.
I was looking for testimonials for my book, “The Story of I Can’t” and knew that Henry Winkler was an advocate for children’s literacy, as someone who grew up with severe, undiagnosed dyslexia. Although best known as The Fonz from Happy Days by my generation, he had become well known by younger people as the creator and co-author of Hank Zipzer. His charitable work for children with special educational needs had earned him an honorary OBE, making him the ideal person to approach for his take on my little book.
It was common knowledge in the theatre world that every year Henry Winkler came to the UK to play the iconic role of Captain Hook in a pantomime production of Peter Pan. I discovered that he was going to be at the Liverpool Empire that year (2009), so I popped a copy of my book in the post. It arrived in his dressing room while he was on stage. It was a two show day and between the morning and afternoon performances he sat and opened his post. He read my book there and then and was so inspired that he picked up the phone and called me to tell me how great it was.
He very kindly said I could quote him and that moment became one of the coolest things ever to happen to me!
