After an uneventful upbringing in Scarborough North Yorkshire, I went to study Zoology at the University of Leeds in 1977. Upon completing my own education, I immediately set about inflicting what I had learnt on adolescents and young adults. After 13 years in British schools and colleges I set off overseas with my wife and family. I spent 23 years working in International schools. At this point I decided that as I had managed to inspire at least a handful of young people over the years, I should retire whilst I was a Head!
The four years we lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, provided my most memorable experiences. During that time I realized that much of what I had previously accepted to be truths were often merely cultural conventions. This view was reinforced whilst living in other countries, with the outcome that I like to think I am now much more questioning and open minded than when I was young.
The conflicting benefits for the brain between building a working understanding of the world based on experienced ‘truths’ versus being open to new uncertainties that challenge its conceptual model and have to be either assimilated into a changed model, or simply ignored, continue to fascinate me, and influence my thinking and writing. Young minds are particularly interesting in this respect.
Having now reached my dotage I can shamble around our island home in the Hebrides making a nuisance of myself. I have been daydreaming and communicating with words for over 60 years, so I decided that writing stories could be a good way to keep out of trouble whilst sharing my humour and experiences. When not at home or walking my dogs, I can be found on the pier hauling the ropes to secure or release the ferries serving the island community.