I was born in 1928 in Carlisle, my father being a dentist in the Border City. I was educated at Carlisle Grammar School, a school with ancient connections with the cathedral, then in the Royal Navy [National Service] and then at Peterhouse, Cambridge and Ely Theological College.
I was ordained by the Bishop of Carlisle in 1954, not knowing that some years later I would be marrying his daughter, Sally. We have been married happily now for over 43 years.
All my appointments were in the North of England. Curate of a shipyard parish in Barrow in Furness, Chaplain and Lecturer at St John's College York. Vicar of St Stephen's,Burnley; Assistant Director of Education for the Blackburn Diocese; Vicar of St Thomas', St Annes on the Sea and lastly Rector of Halton, near Lancaster.
I retired to Bromsgrove in the county of Worcestershire where I made myself useful for the past twelve years. Then we heard that my youngest daughter, Sarah,who lives in Coventry was expecting her first born in October.
So we moved to our present address - 10 Hall Lane. Coventry CV2 2AW - on 16th September 2004 and the baby appeared five weeks early on 28th September.
We are now happily ensconced in a bungalow just five doors from our parish church and 200 yards from the Walsgrave Hospital and enjoying the company of Caroline Elspeth Swain whom I christened on January 2nd.2005
In September 2005 I celebrated my fifty years as a priest in the Church of England . Unfortunately I took the opportunity of collapsing in the middle of the festivities and was carted off to A&E . Subsequently we discovered that I had been treated incorrectly for my heart condition and that my problem was low rather than high blood pressure. So though my party was lost to me at least I found my way to better health and have never looked back since.