I was born in a Ham Stone cottage set on the side of an Iron Age Hill Fort. This is known as Ham Hill and bears the evidence of ancient British and Roman occupation. It is in the west country of England, King Arthur country. I spent my early years in a nearby village where, on the hill overlooking it, a mysterious black slate Crucifix was found under a stone slab, by the village blacksmith, in 1034 AD. That Crucifix, the Halig Rood, became the battle cry of the English army at Hastings. That very hill on which the cross was found was also the scene of the last major English resistance to the Norman invaders, in 1069 AD. Little wonder then that I am obsessed with the early history of the West Country and with inventing stories to tell where this Cross came from, its possible influence on the outcome at Hastings, who the Gewissae really were and why Wessex became the dominant power in unifying the broken land of post-Roman Britain. I left this magical country at the age of seven. After leaving school in London I went to sea and eventually over the years became Captain of a number of Merchant Ships. I went on to lecture in Nautical subjects eventually becoming Head of the Department of Navigation and Maritime Studies in Bristol. I moved on from there to become Principal of two Community Colleges and retired after training as a College Inspector. It was thus many years later that I visited my childhood haunts and in the church where I attended Sunday School found a leaflet outlining the details of this Crucifix and its mysterious discovery. At about the same time I found that what I knew merely as Ham Hill was an ancient Iron Age Hillfort. In puzzling through the mystery of the origins of this cross I developed a hypothesis and a conviction that I should write it as a novel. I determined to acquire some competence in writing and studied and achieved a Diploma in Literature and Creative Writing through the Open University. The novel became a series of three with a possible two more in concept. Two are published, The Axe the Shield and the Triton and The Axe the Shield and the Halig Rood; the next will skip four hundred years and in Edith Fair as a Swan describe the fate of my 'Folk' following Hastings and the English resistance to the Norman genocide. I didn't set out to be an author, it is as if the story demanded to be written. You can read more about the series and my progress to publication on my blog and publishing website http://oldfartwannabeblog.blogspot.com/ http://wyrdsisterspublishing.co.uk/  

Deck Officer Class 1 (Master Mariner),
B.Sc ( Tech) 2.i
M.Sc. (Wales)
D.L.C.W. (Open). Diploma in Literature and Creative Writing

I have served as Captain on 25 ships during my life at sea.
I was Head of the Bristol Dept. of Navigation and Maritime Studies at Brunel College.
I became Principal ( what US readers would call President) of two Community Colleges before training as a college inspector and retiring.

I have published 2 well received novels, The Axe the Shield and the Triton, The Axe the Shield and the Halig Rood and a 3rd, Edith Fair as a Swan, and a 4th, Atland the Lost, are Works in Progress.