Early Years

I'd always been madly keen on anything with wheels and engines and any spare wall space at home or school was plastered with pictures of motorbikes. Needless to say at the age of 17, as well as starting to learn to drive I managed to get my hands on a motorbike.

I left School in 1979 with plans of further education at an Agricultural College. With this in mind I first came to Wales to work on a farm for a year to gain the necessary experience. Although I gained considerable experience I also found freedom and independence and the thought of going back to school (effectively) was too much. So I turned my back on Further Education, and indeed farming, and went home to Exmoor to find a career.

Earning a Living

All I really knew was that I wanted to drive, but of course this wasn't immediately practical, especially at the age of 19 or so and with a conviction for driving without Due Care and Attention under my belt (a sad story of sharp bends and Welsh hedgerows fortunately with no injuries other than to pride and wallet). In fact I got a job at Butlin's in Minehead, selling electrical goods to the holidaymakers. Everything from cheap radios to Lava lamps (an indispensable holiday item!!)

Butlin's was only for the holiday season and towards the end of the Summer I got a job with a local firm delivering the milk and papers over a large part of Exmoor. This suited me fine - I was driving, which was great, and because we started early we also finished early which left the afternoons free for walking and photography.

In 1982 I moved away from Exmoor and back to Mid Wales. I got a job driving coaches which I did for three years before joining the Ambulance Service in 1985 and there I've been ever since. These days I am based at Mamhilad near Pontypool where I work as a Control Officer. From here we manage Ambulance deployment for something approaching half of the area of Wales - our Control centre covering South Glamorgan, Gwent and Powys - from Llantwit Major in the South to Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in the North. Since January 2006 I have been involved in training staff in the Control in addition to my day to day role.