CHARLIE'S STORY

Charlie's Story was the first set of Storytiles to be produced. It tells the true story of Charlie Smith, who was bullied as a youngster and as a result started using violence, drinking heavily, and committing petty crimes. Caught for handling forged fivers, he went to prison, after which his criminal activity soared. But he didn't start taking drugs until he was in his mid-twenties and succumbed to peer pressure. Then, he tried everything and eventually became addicted to heroin. There were three major crises in his life - one when he nearly killed his best friend in a getaway that backfired; the second when he nearly killed the estate bully. Sent to Dartmoor Prison for five years, he decided it was time to change, but on leaving prison, he relapsed. The third crisis came when he realised what effect his addiction was having on his son. Only then, after several attempts to detox and months in rehab, he conquered his habit. He has stayed clean for over seven years and now works for drugs charity Inclusion.

This Storytiles mural (see Homepage) consists of 32 tiles measuring 200 x 200 mm each, total size 1.6 x 0.8 metres. The prototype was sponsored by Swindon Community Safety Programme and Wiltshire Criminal Justice Board, and is installed in a cell in the custody suite of Swindon's Gable Cross Police Station. At Charlie's request, a percentage of the profits from any sale of this mural will go to charity.