A TONGUE twister project has reignited a Saltburn care home resident’s creative spark – leading to the release of his first book at 77-years-old.
David Rigg, a resident at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, on Randolph Street, has written and self-published a book called Gobbledygook, featuring a collection of his original tongue twister stories.
The retired Middlesbrough FC groundsman will celebrate the book’s launch with a public signing event at Holly Blue Cards and Gifts, on Milton Street, Saltburn, on October 29th at 2pm. All are welcome to attend.
The inspiration for the book was a year of tongue twister-themed activities at Hazelgrove Court Care Home.
The activities began when the National Activities Providers Association (NAPA) encouraged participants in their annual Arts in Care Homes initiative to incorporate tongue twisters into creative projects in 2025.
Residents created a recycled orchestra using materials such as cardboard, cartons, tubs and string, with original tongue twisters written to accompany each instrument.
The project was supported by Professor Alan Dunn, who holds a PhD in Art and teaches at Leeds Beckett University. Professor Dunn had written The Jingle Book, exploring the use of sound within dementia care settings, using household objects as instruments and familiar tongue twisters as lyrics.
After seeing Hazelgrove Court’s work shared online, he contacted the home and has since partnered with staff on an ongoing dementia research project examining the benefits of tongue twisters in care settings.
Sharon Lewis, activities coordinator at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, 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 have now become a regular part of life at the care home. Activities have included a tongue twister pass-the-parcel event involving pupils from Huntcliff School during the World Cup, cultural tongue twister sessions, sign language tongue twisters, and a weekly tongue twister for residents and visitors to try.
David was particularly inspired by the tongue twister activities and began creating his own stories, which Sharon encouraged him to turn into a book.
He has also since started writing a monthly tongue twister for Talk of the Town, Saltburn’s local magazine.
Sharon 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.”
Professor Dunn was so impressed by David’s work that he agreed to write the foreword for Gobbledygook and will attend the book signing event.
In the foreword, he 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.”
Speaking about the book, David said: “Prior to moving into Hazelgrove Court, I used to paint and loved painting pictures of Robin Hood’s Bay and local areas. But I have not painted since moving into the home.
“The tongue twisters re-opened my creative side and I love to write tongue twister stories and am delighted to write my first book.”