About me

Background

Born 1954 in Aylesbury, Bucks

I failed the 11+ exam (this was before the days of comprehensive schools) and so attended a secondary modern school. This was "The Grange" in Ellesmere Port, long since closed. As a kid I was interested in science (these were the days of man on the moon don't forget), it wasn't the toughest school in the state sector but not really the sort of place I could ever feel at home in. hence I left as soon as I could which was at the end of the 4th year, when I was 15.

I can thank a tech college - Carlett Park on the Wirral, now called "Wirral met" - for my further education. I gained my “O” and “A” levels there. Most of the Carlett park campus has gone now tomake way for houses.

In 1973 I arrived in Norwich at the University of East Anglia, the UEA, where I studied Environmental Sciences which gave me a BSc (hons) degree. These three years were wonderful, I got to meet people from backgrounds utterly different to my own, there were many a late night spent discussing issues I'd never considered before, it was a challenging and rewarding time but I'll be honest, degree level is as far as I'd ever want to take education. It all became so detached from the real world and theoretical as to be somewhat meaningless.

Perhaps because of this I spent a lot of time which maybe should have been spent in the UEA library working at Hospital Radio Norwich around 1974-5, which gave me the experience required to get a job with the BBC as a technician in 1976, so after my time in UEA I moved to London.

I lived in London from 1976 to 1980 where I worked as a technician for the BBC in Bush House (the "World Service") and Broadcasting house (Domestic Radio) and I have to say didn’t enjoy it. The job was great, something I'd always wanted to do, but working shifts and living in bedsit land meant I found the city hard to live in, anonymous and depressing. I longed for the big Norfolk skies.

So I returned to Norwich toward the end of 1980, when I got a job as Media services technician at Wymondham college. I bought my house in the Golden triangle area of Norwich early in 1981 and I have lived here ever since.

About me - the way it is

I am now employed at another college as media services technician, where I've been since 1985. The job involves looking after an awful lot of IT these days, including Avid, Premiere and final cut pro video suites, a 24 track multi-track music studio and a TV studio. I work with students from all sorts of backgrounds and educational levels from degree to special needs, such is further education.

I’m single with no children, the marrying thing didn't work out.

From 1988 to 2001 I spent a month every year traveling to distant lands including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, India, South Africa, USA and Australia, some on more than one occasion and usually over Christmas / New year. I always traveled backpack style and avoided the tourist traps.

The dawn of the new millennium (new year 2000) was spent in London, which was almost like visiting a foreign culture. Over the new year period and when most people were watching the party in the Dome on TV or else packed into the crowded streets, I was in a party for the homeless in the East End, I'm please to say, the millennium hype passed me by.

Christmas/New year 2001 was another world trip, this time to Brasil, 2002 to Latvia and 2003 the Czech Republic.

Since then life has got a lot quieter and I've taken up gardening with an allotment!

My musical taste has mutated from the 1960's psychedelic rock, through punk in the 1980's to - as much to my surprise as anyone else’s - dance music known as “techno” in its various forms such as Trance and Hard house. These days I'm back into the electric fold scene.

My main focus of interest over the past few years has been on the issue of drug use, especially cannabis and this had lead to a determination to do something to counter the harm done by the so-called “war on drugs”. I am now involved with the webteam of the UK Cannabis Internet Activists, the website of the British Legalise Cannabis Campaign.

Politically, I was a member of the Labour Party up to the point where Tony Blair took it over and destroyed it. As a result of Blairs changes I had to resign my 23 year membership of the party in 1996. During the election of 1997 I was the election agent for Howard Marks, who stood for the Legalise Cannabis Party here in Norwich. In 1999 I joined the Green Party and was an activist in the Norwich branch, but I resigned from the Green party early in 2004, for much the same reason I resigned the Labour party. I guess I just don't like politicians.

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