Born in Southampton, I and my siblings were brought, throughout our childhood, into the New Forest to walk and enjoy the open space. Although, initially, I spent my adult life living and working away from the Forest I was always keen on the countryside and country sports, especially fishing and shooting and qualified as a fly fishing coach and a CPSA shooting instructor when I retired. 

I returned whenever I could to the New Forest until, eventually, I settled down in Burley with my late wife, Diane. In 1994 we moved to the remote Burley Rails Cottage which, originally built as a woodman's cottage and sold by the Forestry Commission in the 1960's, is a unique place in which to live. My knowledge of the forest is genuine and I am known for considerate and well researched articles which are published in national and international magazines.

After an extended holiday to America in 2004, where I visited amazing places like the Grand canyon, Bryce canyon and Monument Valley, I was returning home along my access track when I realised just how special and unique, in the great scheme of things, is the New Forest and I decided that the time had come to put pen to paper to share with others some of the experiences I enjoyed, on a daily basis. My first article was accepted by the editor of the village magazine and I was immediately encouraged to share more of my observations. And so began the series of short articles entitled, originally, 'From the Enclosure'