The youngest of two brothers, I was born in a mining village in Derbyshire. My parents were determined both my brother and I would not work in the mines.

Like our dad, my brother was good at football. I wasn't.

I always enjoyed art...and had a fascination with printing.

We both passed our 11 plus exams and attended state grammar schools.

I was exposed to new things...lots of big words, cricket and rock music!

My brother left school at 16, and so did I.

At 16 I began an apprenticeship with one of Chesterfield's foremost mechanical engineering companies. While I was there, they made huge things...tunnelling machinery for the Channel tunnel, 32 ft diameter 'butterfly' valves for the wind tunnel in which the NASA Space Shuttles were tested, parts for the Thames Flood Barrier, Water Turbines for hydroelectric power stations...and lots more. On completing my apprenticeship, my job was to mend the machines and tools that made these extremely big things. In 1986, like many others in heavy engineering around that time, I was made redundant.

I stayed in mechanical engineering until 1988, then had a break.

In 1989 I dabbled briefly (for the first time professionally) with graphic design, setting up a short lived Desk Top Publishing company with a dear, now sadly long departed friend.

In 1990 I entered the Photofinishing industry, briefly managing a photo-processing lab before being seconded to the company's technical helpdesk.

By 1994, after opting for voluntary redundancy, I was invited by a visionary entrepreneur to join his small Eastbourne based company, specialists in servicing/repaired photo-processing equipment (‘one hour’ photo-labs and the like). It was a very different sort of engineering involving electronics, chemicals, lasers, computers and software, but once again I was fundamentally mending things. For the first 6 years I crisscrossed the country working in virtually every town and city in mainland UK…plus the Channel Islands, Northern Ireland, the Isles of Man…and Wight). I virtually lived in hotels. As the company grew exponentially and diversified into other industries my role evolved from Field Engineer to Team Leader then Key Account Manager before being gifted the grandly titled brand new position of Creative Designer, Publishing and Marketing Executive.

In a team of one, I was responsible for the entire groups' (now global) internal and external design and marketing demands 'in print and online'.

By 2010 a new MD and board were in place and in late November 2011 I was made redundant and subsequently replaced by an external agency.

The following day, Yellow Spade Design was launched.

I married my quite remarkable and unbelievably tolerant wife in 1991 after what might be described a 'whirlwind' romance. An inspiring academic, she has devoted her working life to cancer research...drug discovery, improving drug delivery methods, writing scientific papers, lecturing and mentoring a plethora of young academics though their PhDs...many of whom now lead their own research groups across the globe. We have two incredible children (now adults), both doing astonishing work in education...and both talented artists in their chosen fields.

During our marriage, we've occupied three different houses (in Matlock, Brimington and Doe Lea), and enjoyed the companionship of nine cats, two dogs, two tortoises, two chickens, two rabbits, numerous fish and a colony of ants. Both tortoises, one cat and one dog are still in residence.

As a family, we also fostered for 6 years, between 2012 and 2018.

Unlike the rest of the family...I am not at all musical although listening to music has been a passion since late childhood. I particularly like rock music...but also enjoy jazz, classical and music from some theatrical shows.

I enjoy sport. At senior school I occasionally made the school football and cricket teams but excelled at athletics, especially if it involved hopping, skipping and jumping into a sandpit. I also represented the school at chess.

In my late (misspent?) youth I played pool for many years, and even represented Chesterfield. As an 'adult' I began playing cricket again (quite appallingly) during the late 1980s and early 90s.

Amongst my favourite sports to watch are test cricket, football, snooker, tennis and virtually anything during the Olympics apart from boxing.

I was a union shop steward at the age of 22, have spent time coaching in Junior football, chaired a local Scout group, served as a school governor at both junior and senior schools and been a founding board member at a multi-academy trust. Currently I serve as a resident director of our housing estate management company, a Parish Councillor and Clerk to the Trustees of an Educational Charity. I've been involved in and led many fundraising ventures and even written a theatrical show!

Apart from music I enjoy art, satire, film, politics, cooking/food, (red) wine, real ale, the theatre, board games, words, word games, word based board games, walking the dog, mending things, DIY, making things out of reclaimed wood, tools, technology, photography, meeting up with old friend and design of course...but most of all spending precious time with my wonderful family.