FORMER Kettlewell School headteacher Phill Brisley knew exactly where to launch his new children's book - his former school.

It was an obvious choice as he got the inspiration for Fred's the Star while he was at the Dales school in the 1990s.

Indeed, he came up with a story of two unlikely friends, a field mouse and badger, following a visit to Swinden Quarry near Threshfield.

"The creatures started having a life of their own," said Phill. "I named the two main characters, Fred and Bertie after my dad, initially as a bit of a joke for him and me. However as the character of the mouse and badger developed, I did see more facets of my father coming through so the names stuck!"

The characters went with him when he left the UK to become deputy head of the International Community School in Amman, Jordan.

"I thought I’d left the animals behind, with fond memories. But when I arrived in Jordan I was asked to hold a weekly assembly, though able to discuss major religious/cultural events, we were not allowed to teach religion and having over 40 nationalities one could understand why."

So, to get his message over, Phill resurrected his imaginary friends.

"As they had survived such a hard journey just I couldn’t face sending them home so their adventures in Jordan and around the world began!"

Promoted to headteacher and then principal, Phill stayed at the international school until 2007. He then helped establish an educationally-based NGO, IntoAction, in Jordan, before becoming director of Tenby Schools, in Penang, Malaysia, and later taking charge of the Tenby International School, in Miri, Sarawak.

Throughout his travels, he was accompanied by Fred and Bertie.

So after entering semi-retirement last year, he decided to write a book, featuring the two characters, and came up with a wholesome tale of friendship and survival in the Dales.

In the book, Fred is the only one in his family to survive one of the coldest winter the Dales has ever known. As he sits nibbling away at a slightly browned apple core at the base of the dry stone wall he calls his home, he catches the sight of movement from the corner of his eye. He freezes at first, and then slowly turns to find a very large creature with a menacing snout and very long, menacing claws.

The creature is Bertram Kettlewell Smiley of Upper Wharfedale - Bertie, for short - a badger of great repute. It isn't long before trouble threatens as they search for new homes. It's a move that becomes the first in a series of adventures that help them learn more about each other.

Last Monday, the book had its official launch at Kettlewell School.

"It's where it all started," said Phill. "It had its seeds in my first headship in Kettlewell and all of the opportunities sprang from that experience."

Twenty-eight people attended the launch and heard Phill read from the book.

He added: "The school was so welcoming and most helpful - some of the characteristics I well remember from my time there - especially the school manager, Tracy Briggs.

"I had a wonderful Monday as 'writer in residence' and worked with the younger children in the morning and the older ones during the afternoon: the children showed enthusiasm and exhibited a range of learning strategies and good peer interactions, at both levels - a most rewarding time."

So what's next for Phill, who received an MBE from the Queen in 2002 and the Al Hussein Medal and Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education from the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, in 2006?

He has decided to put his semi-retirement on hold and accept the post of founding principal of a new international school venture in Johor Bahru, southern Malaysia.

Currently, pylons are being sunk and earthworks gouged for the new all-age international school, which will deliver a curriculum based on the UK and is due to open in January 2017

Phill said: "As I’ve matured in my profession, I really do wish to encourage children in school and young adults – and not so young adults! – to make the most of their opportunities whether local or further afield as you never know what might transpire!"

* Fred's the Star is available from Amazon.