IT'S a long way from the Haughley bends to Tin Pan Alley - but that's the journey Gareth Hamer hopes to make after winning national recognition for his songwriting talents.
IT'S a long way from the Haughley bends to Tin Pan Alley - but that's the journey Gareth Hamer hopes to make after winning national recognition for his songwriting talents.
Gareth is an engineer working on the A14 Haughley bends improvements - but he dreams of one day entering the music industry.
And the 32-year-old from Stowmarket is closer to realising that dream after beating thousands of people to get through to the semi-finals of the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest.
He won the slot for No Regrets and also scooped a commended for his second work, Thinking of You.
Mr Hamer, a civil engineer who has been writing music and playing guitar since he was 14, said: “This is the first competition I have entered and means a lot to me.
“I have put a lot of hard work in and dream of turning professional, it has been my hope from a young age, and I seem to be going in the right direction.”
The contest uncovers new talent and allows writers to get feedback from industry professionals.
Past winners have been signed by prominent members of the music industry, including Sir Paul McCartney and Simon Cowell.
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