I left school at 16 with some O levels but I have never been to university. I am the only solicitor in the practice without some degree after my name! A week after leaving school I started work and have worked ever since and have never been unemployed.

My first job was in a local steel works. My second job was as an apprentice letter press printer. My third job was with an insurance company. I went to night school and I passed the first year of the chartered insurance examinations. At this point I decided to move to the Civil Service, Inland Revenue, at clerical grade and on day release I took open executive examinations followed by a Civil Service Board interview and moved to executive level and thereafter took the administrative grade examination.

The position was interesting but not satisfying enough. I left and reduced by self to penury for 5 years as an Articled Clerk with a Manchester Solicitor qualifying in 1970. I was briefly a partner in another firm in Stockport before moving to Alfred Newton in the early 1970’s where I joined as joint senior partner and I have remained ever since.

At the time I joined, Alfred Newton had two offices, one in Stockport and one in Wilmslow, both of which were opened in 1933. We opened another office in Bredbury in 1985 and over the years two other practices joined us namely, Jackson and Olliers. More recently, another practice, Castles, has joined us, giving us two further offices in Romiley and Stalybridge.

My experience is wide ranging as I was trained in Company Law and Conveyancing Law but in my first partnership in Stockport. I also embraced the areas of Criminal Law, Matrimonial Law and Care Proceedings, which followed me to Alfred Newton when I joined them. However, I also maintained my involvement in Commercial work, Company Law and Conveyancing.

These days we have different departments for different areas of work and I concentrate on Wills, Probate, Conveyancing and Commercial work.

Whilst doing my 5 years of studying, I also took up dancing and took professional qualifications with the Imperial Society in both Ballroom and Latin American dancing, firstly as an assistant and then as a member. I taught dancing at the school where I was trained and also taught at night school and later opened my own dancing school with a friend. So dancing and the teaching of it was a theme throughout my life.

In addition, I like to read voraciously and I also like to work with tools. I have done a fair amount of brick work and built dry stone walls. I have fitted out an extension and put in stairs and railings, etc.

I also have two classic cars to be rebuilt namely, my 1953 Alvis (already rebuilt once in the 1970s) and my 1963 Zodiac estate.

My main solace was pipe smoking, which I did for decades, but now sadly have put on hold to improve my overall health.

I have always had dogs in my life over the last 30 years. I have had two Airedales and a Springer Spaniel and currently I have two very elderly Retrievers. I have also (reluctantly) supported several stray cats over the years, three in the house and two that took up residence in my garage!

Finally, I should mention my long-suffering wife who has put with all my quirks and drawbacks over the years with good temper equanimity and unswerving loyalty.