About
I was born and brought up in London to Welsh parents of Celtic and North American descent with a Great Uncle George, whose native Canadian name was Chief Walking Buffalo.
Alongside a career in teaching, I played rugby for Gloucester and Moseley, tried to play for Scotland and captained the Barbarians.
Having been a city-dweller for nigh on 50 years it took a huge leap of faith to go and live in rural Worcestershire and become a household dad to my wife Claire, our two young daughters Ribh & Orli; and our dogs Betty & Wilma who go everywhere with me, even on the bike. (I am told, however, that I am very much a work in progress, to the great amusement of Molly, Drew and Tad, my three adult children from my first marriage).
The key element our lifestyle change has given us is time. Time with our girls, giving me a renewed sense of purpose and an opportunity to learn how to cook. Time to explore the beguiling countryside of the Teme Valley where we live and become fully involved in the community. And, most importantly, time to write every day.
It could be a letter, another article for a local magazine or an entry in the journal I keep inspired by a recent walk. Then, in 2017 my terminally ill uncle passed on a tale that I promised to complete and attempt to publish. It became a hugely fulfilling project of a bigger compositional nature than I was normally used to and necessitated a trip to Canada to develop ‘A Man in Moccasins’. It’s a story of adventure, courage and conflict that gives a unique perspective of how Canada was created.
Once the narrative of 'A Man in Moccasins' was complete, I thoroughly enjoyed the editorial process with my editor Will Rees and the good people at Candy Jar Books. The experience of writing the novel has inspired and enabled me to explore new avenues of research - I've joined the British Association for Canadian Studies and the Canadian Historical Association to widen my reading on the subject.
I am also close to completing a second novel. But more about that later….
