I’m one of many people who have had a very mixed up childhood. My family emigrated to Canada but it did not work out and when we returned my brothers and sisters I were taken into care.

My mum died when I was 11 and that meant more fostering until my father remarried and we moved from Kent to County Durham. My father died when I was 16 and another family took me in. I have met a great variety of people, some very caring and I am very grateful for them because they helped shape who I am today. With the encouragement of good teachers I went to Hull University and enjoyed student life, great friends and studying Theology and Drama.

I met my wife on a summer holiday in our late teens. Blanche and I have brought up 4 wonderful children and now we have 4 marvellous grandchildren. We love holidays in the Lake District.

My first full time job was on a busy surgical ward as an Auxiliary Nurse mostly carrying out personal care for patients and doing loads of dirty jobs. The Baptist Church I went to sponsored me to train as a Pastor and I have done a great deal of pastoral work since then – caring for people, giving spiritual direction, teaching and giving leadership. I later became a part time supervisor for those training for pastoral work at Regent's Park College, Oxford.

After double bypass heart surgery and a couple of stents my doctors advised me to change my lifestyle... so here I am... making my training and experience available for people whether they have a faith or not to provide the best funeral service possible.