I am married to Liz and we have four children and six grandchildren. Now retired, I have had two careers. I spent nineteen happy years with Thomas Reed Printers/Vedrapack, a wonderful company, where I was employed as Senior Estimator and Sales Coordinator. This was followed by four years at Durham University as a mature student where I, thankfully, was awarded a 2:1 B.A. Hons in Education.

I gained, for the most part, a great deal of job satisfaction as a primary school teacher in various schools in the north east. I thoroughly enjoy my allotment garden, bowling, reading, walking and all aspects of the countryside. I am a very keen supporter of Sunderland AFC along with following the Northern League. I am a keen guitarist and have played in a number of local bands over the years. I am passionate about history in general, but perhaps especially Whitburn`s history, demographics, and genealogy. (My paternal Grandmother’s family have lived in Whitburn since the 1400s and my Father’s family moved to the village in 1880 from Norfolk following the opening of the colliery).

I gain great pleasure in developing historical research projects and have written several published papers, articles and journals.