A FATHER whose life was turned upside down by a series of events has told how the turbulent times he went through inspired him.

Life changed for everyone in March 2020 when the country was plunged into the coronavirus pandemic and a full lockdown.

For Stuart Green, who grew up in Manningtree, however, the sequence of events began a month earlier.

Following 18 months of progressively worse pain, the 31-year-old underwent a spine operation to fix an issue which, at its worst, left him unable to stand for more than two minutes.

Finding the injury to be seriously debilitating, Mr Green lost his drive in life as anything he attempted to do was met with constant pain.

It meant a book he had started writing was shelved as his mental health and creativity spiralled.

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But the surgery he had was “life-changing” and just four weeks later his first child Theodore entered the world on the February 29 leap year.

It seemed things were finally on the up in his life...then lockdown hit.

“It essentially threw my rehabilitation plan out the window,” Mr Green said. “I was supposed to be doing lots of walking, mostly to and from work, easing myself back into it all again.

“Working from home meant I was sat at my desk not walking, meaning it took longer to recover.

“Raising the child was tough on my wife and I without physical support from our family, friends and health visitor. Theodore’s first few months were spent trapped inside our house and everything felt the same.

“I do now think what a luxury it was to spend time with my wife and son like that and watch him grow up, as difficult as it was.

“But, I suddenly felt free. The surgery had changed my life and all my worries had gone. I felt like a new man and this inspiration had struck me, it really sparked me into channelling my passion into the book and the words just flew on to the paper where they hadn’t for so long.

“Once I got out of the depression I had fallen into it became so easy to write and I was inspired to finish the book.

“The writing was absolutely amazing for my mental health and having my son was so good for it too.”

The book, provisionally titled The Captain Spectre Saga, is a homage to the pirates of the 18th century, but also poses as a love letter to Harwich, Manningtree and wider Tendring – the area Mr Green grew up in and loves deeply.