I first started on the Trumpet at the age of 10, when the Headmaster wanted to form a School Band. I really wanted Trombone but was given the Trumpet.

That weekend the School was bombed and we all had to move to different Schools, but I still had the Trumpet. In the case was the Trumpet complete with a mouthpiece and a fingering chart for the valves. I worked out the fingering and was soon playing tunes by listening to the radio or playing records.

By the time I was 13 I started doing gigs, we had Trumpet, C melody Sax, Accordian and Drums. The oldest was 14 and it sounded terrible but we got paid.

When I was 15 I joined the Army as a band boy, it was there that I discovered that music was actually written down!!!

During my military career I served in the Far East, Middle East, East Africa and Germany. I probably visited a couple of dozen countries at the governments expence.

After my service career I took up teaching brass in various schools and privately.

I have continued to play in various ensembles here in the South East and I join the Railway Swing Band on its conception  in 1992 and at the moment I am the bands librarian, I can probably cause more havoc with printed scores than anyone else in the band.