Some of the important things that have influenced my journey though the endless and winding pathways that, when I look back, though invisible to the naked eye, to me they illustrate the trail that I have trod. I've always done the best that I could do. Life's journey continues and I venture forth.

Education and the early years.

At the age of 12 due to the pressures of bullying and racial abuse in Lairg, the village where I lived, it was decided that I should go to school in Edinburgh. I left my village and boarded at Dr. Guthrie's for the next two years. I enjoyed very much my academic work there and excelled to become top boy in school. That was known as being the 'Dux'.

I returned to Lairg Junior Secondary School for the last few months of my education and left aged 15 having obtained my Scottish Leaving Certificate.

My education continued with training in HMS Ganges at Ipswich, Suffolk, where after further study I passed 7 GCE's at "0" level as a 'boy sailor' before being drafted to HMS Victory, (shore Barracks) in Portsmouth. There followed specialist training in ASDICS (anti submarine warfare) and a tour of duty in the Far East on board the Destroyer H.M.S. Caesar.

I found myself very dissatisfied with life in the service and returned to the United Kingdom. It was with great difficulty that I was eventually able to leave the service shortly before my 18th birthday.

Soon after leaving the Royal Navy I was travelling by train from Brighton to London when I discovered my travelling companion was an elderly gentleman who told me his name was Duncan Grant. At the time I had no idea who he was but was thankful that he had befriended me in a time of need. I later discovered that he was 77 years of age a Painter and designer; member of the Camden Town Group, 1911; worked with Roger Fry at the Omega Workshop, 1913-19 and the last representative and a famous painter from the Bloomsbury Group.

I rented and shared a bedsitter flat in Edmonton, north London with John Dunne and went to a school of hairdressing in Enfield to learn a trade. During my training I had often posed for Duncan and spent many interesting weekends at his flat in Victoria Square in London.When I qualified, I proudly showed my friend my Gents Hairdressing Diploma, he congratulated me and it was Duncan who gave me the money to buy a set of hairdressing tools. A wonderful gentleman who never pressed his attentions on me.

In the years that have passed since then I have attended many selling courses, photographic seminars, entered various selling and photographic competitions and won some prizes and certificates.

I have studied at the Open University for a degree in technology which has yet to be completed and at the North East Surrey College Of Technology for a Diploma in Photography.