The author was born in Selly Oak in Birmingham and went to school at Raddlebarn Road. He started work as a gardener before joining the merchant navy. He left when his father became ill and took a j...view moreThe author was born in Selly Oak in Birmingham and went to school at Raddlebarn Road. He started work as a gardener before joining the merchant navy. He left when his father became ill and took a job at a girl’s grammar school where he met his future wife. After leaving Birmingham he moved to Daventry to work on housing maintenance and then in shopfitting. After working for the BBC World Service he took early retirement after major surgery. He then joined a narrow gauge railway in Rugby as a volunteer. This is his first book.view less