AN entrepreneurial Inverkip man has left behind a career in funds and finance to embark upon an exciting journey into storytelling and songs which will make life a little more exciting for local youngsters. 

Rich Jow ran his own financial services company for 25 years before setting up Professor Squozz and the Adventure Tots. 

The Inverkip dad is all set to run sessions at Wemyss Bay community centre which will see colourful puppet Professor Squozz take youngsters and their parents on an exciting journey to complete a quest. 

(Image: George Munro) Rich and his wife Louise, with help from their wee baby daughter Mabel, 15 months, have put their heart and soul into creating amazing stories and magical music for the terrific tales. 

As an expert storyteller, Rich, 46, said he's very excited about this new chapter. 

He added: "I'm figuring out what I really want to do for the first time in my life. 

"I want to entertain kids and write stories. 

"It's really nerve-wracking as I am a perfectionist when it comes to this sort of stuff, and I have very high expectations of storytelling.

"I just want people to come along and listen to the stories and enjoy them."

Rich said the idea for Professor Squozz and the Adventure Tots evolved from a soft toy he found in a garden centre. 

(Image: George Munro) The professor takes the form of a colourful puppet, who is adored by Mabel, and Rich knows he will be popular with local tots. 

Rich added: "I have an 18-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, and after she was born, I felt that I maybe didn't spend enough time telling stories with her. 

"When Mabel was born, I was able to massively reduce my work and stay at home with her three days a week. 

"I love entertaining and always really wanted to work with kids."

Rich was a stand-up comedian for around four years until 2012, and describes himself as a 'big fantasy storyteller' with a passion for linear storytelling.

He is a Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master and is in the middle of writing a book. 

In a Professor Squozz and the Adventure Tots session, the professor, ably assisted by Rich, will take youngsters and their parents on a adventure. 

The professor calls on the wee ones to help them complete a quest by solving puzzles, and they get clues from different characters along the way. 

At the start of a session, every tot receives a bag full of all of the tools they need to complete the quest. 

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They all travel through the forest, with Rich narrating everything they see and hear.

The music for the stories has been created by Rich and his wife Louise, and there are catchy theme tunes for all the major characters. 

Rich plans to run two or three sessions, three times a week, with each one themed around a letter of the alphabet.

At the end of each journey, Rich will tell a story including the names of all of the children who took part. 

Sessions will run across three different age groups zero to one, one to two, and two to three. 

Rich, who studied the psychology of shared storytelling, said there's a real power attached to a group of people sharing and passing around stories. 

He added: "Storytelling is nothing if there are no people to hear the stories. 

"I'm looking forward to bringing parents and kids together and taking them through a story from beginning to end."

Rich is running Christmas taster sessions on Thursday, December 12. 

To book visit https://professorsquozz.co.uk/book-a-session