For as long as I can remember there were four factors that have been a major part of my life, Food, Photography, Writing and Gardening. This is not as simple as you may think because none of these disciplines were a given gift. Whilst I spent a lot of my early life watching my mother cook, it was not until I went to work as a trainee chef at one of my uncle's hotels that I had my eyes opened, this is where I learnt the professional side of the business.
As a photographer, I was clicking my father's camera as soon as I could hold that old Kodak Box Brownie, eventually my parents bought me my first camera when I was about 9 years old, a 'Coronet' I believe. When I was 14 years old I was lucky enough to get to work with a great South London wedding photographer - Harry Hughes - he taught me all he could over the following 6 years, mainly in the dark room but gave me a lot of advice on the photography itself. Since then I have owned a large number of cameras and stay loyal to Nikon, although the Fuji FinePix S5 Pro is still my workhorse.
My leap into writing is also founded in the principles of my parents who encouraged both myself and my siblings to learn to write correctly from a very early age. I continued this at school where I concentrated on the principles of the English language. My start in serious writing was a little different from the average author, it was writing the evidence for cases that were to go to trial, I was a detective in the Metropolitan Police at the time and in those days we prepared our own cases, which would be handed over to Scotland Yard's Prosecution Department. How things have changed since the 60's and 70's. I eventually managed to get back to writing a few small articles for English language newspapers in Spain and am now firing up the fingers again.
If you have ever imagined cutting a lawn with a pair of scissors, I would not recommend it. I grew up in New Cross, South London and there was a very small garden in front of the second floor flat (apartment) our family lived in. My mother was very concerned that this plot of land was ugly and the people standing at the two bus stops alongside should have a more attractive view. What she started with just a small patch of grass and flowers, especially roses, was a local movement from the other residents to make sure that the gardens in front of our properties made everyone waiting for their bus proud and happy. Some 45 plus years later I am now learning to garden.