I was born in Fulham, London. When I left school I became a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice, this was for 5 years, during this time I gained my City and Guilds certificates. I then worked as a precision machinist at various engineering companies improving my knowledge. One company Johnson Matthey only produced parts in Gold, Silver or Platinum. I moved to Bury St Edmunds in 1966 with my wife, working at W Vinten Ltd until I retired in 2002. I was Works and Project manager leading the company into the computer controlled machining era, the first company in East Anglia to do so. I have volunteered at West Suffolk hospital since the year 2000.