I was born in Spring Cottage, Abbotsham, moved to Fairy Cross when 6 months old, where I attended Alwington school from 5 onwards. Alwington school closed When I was 7 and we were moved to Abbotsham school, back to where I started life. I then passed the 11+ by the skin of my teeth, and went to Bideford Grammar school.
Now I would like to say I was a star pupil, but sadly that was not the case. My school reports throughout my time there (yes, I still have all of them), said I was good at sport, but academically not the brightest firework in the box. I tried a year in the lower VI, but it soon became clear I was not academically maturing with age.
My ambition at that time was to be a journalist; I applied to the Bideford Gazette for a position, but was beaten to the post by Geoff Staddon, a good friend of mine at the Grammar school. Effectively, this changed my career as I joined the Royal Air Force as a ground radar engineer. I spent 12 years in the RAF, playing lots of sport and crucially, making the most of 3 years of electronics education, which would stand me in good stead for the rest of my working life. During my time in the RAF, I was asked by a senior officer if I really wanted to be an electronics engineer or if would I rather follow a career in sport, as I spent so much time away from work. When I was younger, I had struggled to work out the correct family, work and recreational balance.
I left the RAF at this time, as I had a young family and wanted to have a stable home and school life for my children, and settled in Portsmouth where I had been offered a position with Marconi Underwater Systems, working as a test engineer during the design and development of a new lightweight torpedo.
After 3 years, I moved to the Royal Naval Armaments Depot in Gosport as the resident engineer for Marconi, In support of the delivery of the lightweight torpedo, test and final acceptance by the MOD.
I spent 6 years in this job until final deliveries had been made, then moved to Marconi Space Systems, now EADS, where I spent the final 26 years of my working life. This was the most enjoyable part of my career, where I worked on design and development of satellites and satellite systems. I was the Quality Manager UK for the payload equipment design and manufacture, a UK Risk Manager and risk tutor and a qualified apprentice assessor, a scheme close to me heart.
I have been extremely lucky in my life, have travelled extensively supporting my job, a lovely wife and 2 beautiful children. My son is a policeman and my daughter is a degree qualified nurse who has spent 20 years working for the NHS.
I have played sport constantly throughout my life including rugby (the greatest game on earth), football, cricket, athletics, squash and now golf. Now 8 years retired, my life is spent reading, travelling, playing golf and doing what seems to be a constant round of DIY for my daughter and son-in-law.
