At the age of 13, much to my parents surprise, I won a scholarship to Enfield Technical School. It was there that I first became interested in radio when I was invited to join the school Radio Club because I was doing well in the subject of electricity.
I took a trade test before I signed on the dotted line so after 2 months basic training (square bashing) and 3 months at RAF Locking on an equipment familiarisation course I passed out as a Junior Technician Ground Wireless Fitter. That's me 2nd from the left in the back row.
I was posted to RAF Dishforth in Yorkshire where I was soon promoted to Corporal in charge of the transmitter station in the nearby village of Norton le Clay. This is where I and half a dozen Wireless Mechanics worked and lived. Some of us could cook others couldn't and came in for some stick when it was their turn to be duty cook. After about a year I was posted to RAF Northholt and then on to RAF Hendon where I finished my service as a Sergeant.
I met Betty in 1956 and were married a year later, just before I left the RAF. We were blessed with a son Kevin in 1960 and a second, Ian, in 1964. Kevin has gifted us with two lovely grandsons who are the light of our lives.
On leaving the RAF I continued in the radio/electronics field. First as a development engineer and then into management in the 1960s in some well known household names and some not so well known.
In 1988 I was contemplating my retirement and decided to take out an Amateur Radio license with the view to taking up some construction projects to keep my brain alive (some of the results of my labours can be seen in the Articles Section).
As it happened retirement came in 1992, a bit earlier than expected. So now I do my share of the chores, walk the dog and spend my spare time in the shack (that's what we Hams call the place we have our radios and computers, in my case the box room. See it in the Ham Radio section). When in the mood I let my imagination run riot and scribble (see the Books Section).
