I lived in Rhigos and was bussed to and from Aberdare every weekday, for a seven year stretch, to attend the Boys School where I ultimately studied science subjects (Botany, Zoology and Chemistry).

I graduated from Reading University with a degree in Microbiology in 1967, completed a PhD at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1971, then worked in various microbiology-related jobs in London and Liverpool. From 1975 I lectured in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at The Nottingham Trent University, and retired in January 2006.

I now live in a suburb to the South of Nottingham. I'm married to Jean, a Liverpool girl, and we have one son, Matthew.

I'm keen on fishing of all kinds (except sea fishing as there isn't much sea around Nottingham, not yet anyway), but I particularly enjoy trout fishing in the Derbyshire rivers not far from home. I also enjoy botany and wildlife, and photography. For a long time I've also had a mild and completely harmless interest in local and personal history, but since we started the old school web site this has got totally out of control and I now spend a lot of my spare time, when I'm at home, researching the old school and helping to look after the web site. I get more fun from the old school now than I ever did as a pupil!