I was brought up in the Peak District of Derbyshire where I was for some time employed as a quarry labourer. Subsequently I worked on buses, repaired roads, served in hotels and worked in steelworks in Sheffield and Rotherham. I qualified as a Philosopher from the Universities of Warwick and London. I have been occupied at most levels of education: teaching children in some of the toughest schools in the country, working with international students and engaging in academic research. I am also a qualified football referee and cricket coach. I now live in Norwich. I have published academic articles and fiction.