About Me

I was born and bred in the lovely Hertfordshire village of Much Hadham. Here I gained my interest in history. I took up metal detecting, finding many exciting artefacts in the village, and also locating the site of a lost Roman villa. Later in life, I began researching my family history, tracing my father’s line back to the late 1600s.

My love for my home village and its history previously led to me compiling two non-fiction books, Hadham’s Headlines, set during the 1800s, and Lest We Forget. It was while researching for Hadham’s Headlines that I came across a newspaper report on the arrest and trial of Daniel Phillips. Over the years, I often wondered and imagined what became of him.

Five years ago, I moved to a small village in Suffolk, between Bury St Edmunds and Thetford. It was here that I began further researching the life of Daniel Phillips and the general life of convicts of his time. This led me to writing my first work of historical fiction, Surviving the Waves – A Convict’s Journey.

Work: I have spent most of my working life as a gardener. I also spent around ten years as a children’s entertainer, doing magic shows as the Amazing Tricky Ricky!

Favourite Music: I have an all-round love of music, from Classical to 1950s Rock and Roll, with several songs from my youth, during the 1980s, thrown in too.

Favourite Book: Probably My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell.

Favourite Film: The Wizard of Oz. I also never tire of watching Ask a Policeman, with Will Hay.

Favourite Food: Chocolate, Trifle, and Cheesecake are always winners. Fish & Chips, Chinese, and a nice Sunday roast too. I can’t stand garlic!

Sport: I enjoy watching football, both pro’ and Non-League. In my teens, I loved playing in goal, however, while playing for the Cub Scouts as a winger, I once scored a double hat-trick!

Favourite Holiday Destinations: I have had some great holidays abroad, but I very much enjoy being by the coast in Britain. I have also had many lovely stays in the countryside of Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Cumbria. I have never been to Australia, but having written this book, it could be on the agenda one day!

Any future books planned?: My first book, Hadham’s Headlines, sold out many years ago, however, I am looking to re-print this in the near future. (Join the mailing list for updates!)