Born in Doncaster south Yorkshire on the 16th may 1957
Good sound secondary education but flunked out of school at 15. Left school on a Friday and started work on the Monday, by Tuesday I thought,,,, what the hell have I done!
I started working as an apprentice in a machine factory at the age of 15, by the age of 16 I had had four other jobs.
At 17 much to everyone’s dismay I followed my friends down the mines where I stayed for 14 years, fifteen if you count the year on strike! In 1987 I left the mines and was married now, with two boys, so I became self employed for a while with the setting up and running of a small industrial cleaning business, but still unfulfilled I sold up and took the tenancy of a public house, and me nearly a tea total, a good experience that I would not want to repeat. In 1994 I joined the prison service and worked in a cat A prison, saw many awful things but laughed a lot, you develope a wierd sense of humor as a prison officer, it helps you cope. I was also part of the Tornado rapid riot response team and went to nine riots including the Lincoln riot, this countries second largest after strangeways. and also part of the team that attended to the last of the infamouse Charles Bronson hostage at Hull Prison. I was the officer seen on the news that night leaving the prison with a very large shield on my back and was heard to shout at the camera, "get the kettle on mum" I was, as would be expected, given a rapp on the knuckles by my governor for it; We of course laughed about it for weeks.
I was given a commendation in 1998 for bravery after disarming a man who was trying to stab other prisoners with a home made knife. It wasn't very brave to do that, it was bloody stupid of me and I was very lucky that day not to be stabbed myself!
During my time as a prison officer I started running a small Marquee business as a side line, but finaly I left the prison service in October 2008. My youngest son Gavin now runs the marquee business after he was made redundant from his job 1n 2007,, and me? Well now at fifty two I have embarked on a semi retirement and drive my own taxi three or four days a week and now want to concentrate on my writing.