POPTASTIC! Huddled round the radio on Sunday afternoon Ricky Hanley let out a scream of joy as the S Club Juniors single he co-wrote came in at a very healthy number two.

By Victoria Knowles

POPTASTIC!

Huddled round the radio on Sunday afternoon Ricky Hanley let out a scream of joy as the S Club Juniors single he co-wrote came in at a very healthy number two.

New Direction is the latest single from mini popsters and Ipswich-based Ricky penned the tune more than a year ago.

"I am feeling very good at the moment," said Ricky from his Ipswich home, today after the news of the single's success.

"I was waited with baited breath for the news and I am just overjoyed that it has done so well. I am based in Ipswich and this news just makes all the many miles of travelling to London worth while," he added.

But Ricky is not resting on his laurels and after a family celebration on Sunday night he was back to full pace and looking forward to the future.

"We had a bit of a celebration but things are just flat out for me now. There has been a new signing to Virgin and I will be working with them and things are looking very good at the moment. I am just looking forward to the next hit single," he said.

Ricky, who lives with his wife and three children Ben, 15, Nathan, 12, and Ella, six co-wrote the song with Georgie Dennis, younger sister of Cathy Dennis.

"We initially wrote it for Kylie Minogue. Then Simon Fuller heard it and wanted it. Claire and H also wanted it so we knew it was good."

It was not long before S Club Juniors were in the studio and the song was receiving airplay and became a regular video on the music channels.

Ricky was a session musician before he started writing and has appeared on Top of the Pops many times as a backing singer.

But writing has taken over and he has already produced a track with Liberty X which will be the B-side for their next single. He has also written a song for Will Young.

"Singing is taking a back seat as the writing is taking over. I am definitely on the bottom spiral making my way up, " he added.