I have two sisters, Eileen and Mary. Our younger brother Michael (known mostly for his amateur boxing days) who passed away on the 4th December 2003. All three families live in Braintree, Essex the town the family eventually settled in after moving out from Bermondsey, London, during the Second World War.

I was educated in Braintree Primary School and Braintree High School. After schooling and an interim job in a local shop, I enlisted in the Royal Air Force - June 1953. I served 23 years in Mechanical Transport field and retired in October,1976 as a Flight Sergeant. I served in various stations in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Hawaii and Masirah in the Persian Gulf. Have travelled through most countries to get to various places. My last posting was to 38 Group Headquarters at R.A.F. Upavon, Wiltshire.

I then completely changed professions and joined the distribution world (for a couple of years at KX Autoparts and then Lowfield Distribution / Tibbett & Britten Group), as a Stock Controller, Warehouse Manager, Industrial Engineer and retiring as a Project Manager.

I then worked part time as a Technical Writer for Vision Logistics specializing in Distribution and Logistics computer software until February, 2004.

During my service I met my wife, Shui Chun (Jennie), in Macao, a Portuguese colony on mainland China, during my first tour in Hong Kong. Shui Chun (Jennie) sadly passed away on the 8th August 2003.

We have four children Alex, Susan, Jacqueline and Nicholas, and four grandchildren.

We have now lived in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, since 1976. It is a lovely village, 4 miles from Banbury and on the edge of the Cotswolds.