I WAS BORN into a military family and had lived at 26 addresses by the time I was 21! I met my wife, Mo, in South Africa in 1983 and, on returning to the UK, we lived in Crowborough from where we often visited Brighton. When our son attended college in Brighton in 1998, we acquired a house in the Kemptown/Queens Park area although my wife and I moved to West London.

Approaching retirement, we moved to Brighton in July 2014. After a lot of searching we settled on our house in Terminus Street. Our son now owns the house in Rochester Street and is landlord of ‘The Round Georges’ pub in Sutherland Road.

I studied Geology at London University and began a career with a seismic survey company in oil and mining exploration. I worked mainly in Africa and Europe. The company was eventually taken over by Schlumberger and we parted company in 1994. I continued to work freelance in the oil exploration industry but started to study and work as a self-employed bookkeeper. I have been working
full-time in bookkeeping and accounts for small businesses since 2000 with varied and interesting clients. Mo and I took a ‘gap year’ in 2006/7 and back-packed around the world visiting 16 countries. I am now retired but still have a couple of clients who are reluctant to let my services go! I am a Director of two companies and also help my son with the pub accounts and payroll.

My wife and I started to come to the WHCA Quiz Night about a year ago but have known of the Association through Vinod Mashru at Bright News and, of course, reading The Whistler. We have made many contacts through the Association and through our neighbours whilst tackling anti-social behaviour in Clifton Street Passage.

I believe we are lucky to have found such a friendly and supportive community in the West Hill area and I would like to be more involved, hence my volunteering to join the committee.