MEET the Warrington family who are all out to make a name for themselves in the creative industries.

Derek Vernon and his sons Ryan and Craig are all trying to crack the art scene in different ways.

It all started with Ryan, who has been a musician since he was 14.

He played his first gig at a Christmas showcase at Woolston High before making his stage debut at Parr Hall for a battle of the bands just three months later.

Ryan, 26, said: “I had two really good friends who didn’t know each other. One was learning guitar and the other played the drums.

“So the idea came to form a band to bring them together. At the time I couldn’t play an instrument so I had to learn as I went along.”

He must have had the knack for it because now Ryan is in the Manchester band Black Sonic Revolver who are working on their third album at The Sound Loft studio in Leigh.

Meanwhile, Derek and Craig have been on a similar trajectory after swapping running for stories.

Derek is well known in the town for his past as a runner.

The Howley resident won numerous races and even set a Warrington Half Marathon that was unbroken for 21 years before turning his hand to acting.

Similarly, Craig broke a record with a time of one hour 17 minutes when he won the Pendle Hill Half Marathon last year. He also came second in the Congleton Half Marathon. The 28-year-old had no plans to follow in the footsteps of his dad and brother until an idea popped into his head while he was running – and would not leave.

Craig added: “I was planning to have a boxing match and got my licence but due to wrist injuries it never happened. When I was on that training plan I had a habit of doing a 16-mile run on a Saturday.

“And what happened was all these ideas were coming into my head.

“When you run a long distance you sort of go into a rhythm and you’re in your own little world.

“So these ideas came into mind and it went on for weeks until this story emerged. At first I saw it as a film but some of my favourite films have originated as novels so I decided to take it up that way and started writing.”

Craig has drafted 30,000 words but is doing some research on locations and details for his conspiracy action thriller which is currently under wraps.

He said: “This time last year was a great time for me. I was doing well with my running and I’d taken up writing and it almost felt like it filled a void in my life. I found something I’m passionate about so I’m excited about getting back to the writing side of it.”

If his dreams come true of becoming a successful author and a film gets off the ground, Craig also hopes that his dad Derek gets a part in it.

As well as a part time job with Warrington Borough Council working with children with severe disabilities, Derek is the production manager at Peter Sinseeya Films.

He is currently working on Rock Salt’s Eleven, a short film about the last day of the First World War.

‘We’ll have debates about certain ideas and at the same give each other new ideas. I definitely admire these two’

Craig Vernon

Derek, who has been acting for five years, added: “I’m really excited about it. I’m hoping this is the one that will get me noticed.

“Rock Salt has got all these people to portray what life would have been like when they came back from the trenches into these early 20th century towns. The script he’s written is amazing.”

Derek, a former Richard Fairclough pupil, is also set to appear in a zombie feature called The Rage and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Ricky Tomlinson Crissy rock and Jake Abraham while filming Fighter From the Docks. He is even writing his own feature called Zoe, inspired by the music career and life of the late David Bowie.

Derek said: “The tribute act Aladdinsane have given me two tracks, David Bowie’s friend who knew him for 40 years has agreed to appear in the film and Ava Cherry, who was his girlfriend for five years and was on the Young Americans album, has let me use her name and is possibly going to give me a track for the film.

“There’s Beatles references as well so I’m going to be filming in the Jacaranda where they did their first gig. Ryan played there and is providing a song for the film so it’s a nice little family thing for me.

“It’s like when I was on a two-part drama called Witch Hunt: A Century of Murder. I played the court clerk Thomas Potts during the Pendle witch trials and a year later Craig won the Pendle Hill half marathon. I love little coincidences like that.”

Derek and his sons hope to one day all work together on the same production and Craig said they spur each other on.

He added: “We can end up having heavy conversations over the kitchen table. We’ll have debates about certain ideas and at the same give each other new ideas.

“I definitely admire these two because I might have to do reading events in the future but my dad and Ryan have already gone out in fronts of big groups of people.”

Derek said: “I’m so proud of these two. We all share the same drive.”