Our story
by Tom Idle, founder, Little Legs
This is Dudley, or Little Legs as I like to call him. He’s my son and he’s the reason Little Legs Publishing came to be.
Like many new parents, I found that my weekends were no longer my own. Suddenly, here was this little person, a bundle of energy looking to be entertained.
I was up for the job. But I was in need of some help. Some inspiration. Some ideas for stuff to do, places to go, things to see and experience. Stuff that was fairly local, wasn’t going to break the bank and that would suitably keep Little Legs engaged.
And that’s when it hit me.
If I was looking for this sort of information, there was probably loads of Mums and Dads out there doing the same.
The idea for Little Legs was born.
That was a long time ago. 2012, to be precise.
I was working as an editor for a company based in Oxford. I lived (and still do) in Kent. So, I would spend at least ten hours a week driving round the M25 and up the M40.
The commute gave me the thinking time to develop what would become Little Legs.
I got to researching and writing, settling on 237 different ideas that would form the basis of my Kent book.
Dudley and I had already been to many of the places, venues and attractions that would feature in the pages. For those that we hadn’t visited, we would make a beeline – taking notes, snapping photos and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
Fast forward ten years
47,185 words and gawd-knows-how-many-hours of writing later – stealing moments between the day job, parenting and navigating adult life, pen in hand – and the book was written.
And then, it was out there, in the wild: 237 Ideas for Stuff to Do and Places to Go in Kent with Kids, available in all good bookstores across the county
It was a labour of love. And something I was incredibly proud of.
This is just the start
I appreciate it’s fairly unconventional to start a business by launching an analogue product – a book – in the year 2023.
Yes, surfing the internet is great for finding stuff to do and places to go in Kent with kids.
But I hope you agree with me that there’s nothing better than having a series of personal recommendations beautifully packaged up and delivered to you on a plate.
The Little Legs books do just that.
They exist to be thumbed, poured over, scribbled on and stuffed into gloveboxes.
And our Kent and Somerset books are just the start.
In the coming months, we will also be serving parents, grandparents, carers, visitors and tourists across Suffolk, Sussex, Essex and London.
Watch this space.