Mandelson called Epstein his 'best pal' in birthday message.txt
'Boring' book by Suffolk author aims to send children to sleep.txt
'Boring' book by Suffolk author aims to send children to sleepSkip to contentBritish Broadcasting CorporationRegisterSign InHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and apostador botafogoPacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersThe 'boring' book aiming to send children to sleep5 days agoShareSaveAlice CunninghamBBC News, Suffolk andWayne BavinBBC News, SuffolkShareSaveContributedKatie inspired The Old Wooden House after she struggled to fall asleep during a long-haul flightA "boring" children's book aims to put youngsters to sleep before they reach its ending.The book is the idea of Will Hackett-Jones, from Needham Market, Suffolk, who struggled to get his daughter Katie to sleep during a long-haul flight and so came up with the idea of telling her a dull bedtime story.After it worked, he thought it could be an opportunity to help others, so he wrote The Old Wooden House – a story with no plot or excitement.Now living in St Petersburg, Russia, Mr Hackett-Jones said it had successfully worked on other children, but not many knew the ending as they had already fallen asleep.ContributedKatie managed to fall asleep after her father told her a dull story during their flightThe 45-year-old said it had been "a case of desperation" during a flight to New Zealand with Katie."I just thought I'll whisper something really boring to her and see if it sends her to sleep, and it did. It was amazing," he said."After that I tried it a few more times in New Zealand on my daughter's various cousins, and it worked every time, and I thought there was a book in this."ContributedWill Hackett-Jones has tested his new book on a few children as well as his wife, and it proved successful Mr Hackett-Jones, who had always wanted to write, added: "I try to lean into it and just say, have your exciting books, your dragons, all that sort of thing."But ultimately you want to be able to go downstairs and have a glass of wine with your other half. You don't want to be upstairs reading to the kids for six hours. It's bedtime, after all."So have the fun book and then the calm-down book."ContributedThe Old Wooden House has been released in both English and RussianThe author, who read Russian studies at university, has lived in the country since 2003.He later set up a translation business, but it "ground to a halt" when the war with Ukraine began.Mr Hackett-Jones, who is also working on a novel for adults, said that if the "delightfully dull bedtime story" was successful, he might think about writing a series of "sleepy books".Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.Stories like thisHow a World Cup-winning boss saved player's careerClassic Suffolk book to be adapted for the stageViral author who sold two books becomes bestseller ChildrenNeedham MarketBooksRelatedSix families a week turning to home educationStaff shake-up as child services need improvementMore children are obese than underweight, says UnicefMore from the BBC2 days ago'He is an awful man': Why we are wrong about DarcyMostly miserable and even "unforgivably cruel", Jane Austen's famous romantic hero is not what he seems, writes the author Sebastian Faulks, in an exclusive extract.2 days ago3 days agoIan McEwan on why humankind 'will scrape through'Author's new novel, What We Can Know, offers a glimpse into a very different Britain 100 years from now.3 days ago6 days ago'My mother was my shelter and storm': Arundhati Roy on her fierce new memoirMother Mary comes to me is a raw, bruising, yet life-affirming portrait of Arundhati Roy's mother.6 days ago3 Sep 2025Seven claims made in new royal book from Brexit to CoronationA new book on the connections between the royals and politics has revealed some eye-catching stories.3 Sep 20252 Sep 2025Hospital revives ward book trolley after 25 yearsThe volunteer-run service will visit wards on Thursdays and Fridays at the hospital in Gillingham.2 Sep 2025British Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherBBC ShopBritBoxBBC in other languagesFollow BBC on:Terms of UseAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpContact the BBCAdvertise with usDo not share or sell my infoBBC.com Help & FAQsContent IndexCopyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
