Working in the Following Genres:
Full-Length Plays
One-Act Plays
Sketches, Skits or Very Short Plays
I began writing at the age of fifty eight following the sudden death of my wife. One of my friends was a novelist and he encouraged me to get into writing. If nothing else, as a cathartic process. From this came two published novels, Ball Game and One Man and his Shed.
A few years later I married Daphne and she introduced me to a friend who told me about a competition ran by the North West Playwrights for sketches to be performed in pubs by professional actors. I had three winning entries one of which was taken up by the Ulverston Outsiders. I then began writing for the Burton Amateur Dramatic Society. I also wrote and produced a panto for the local town. Now I have twenty two works published. During Covid I studied screenwriting and so far have written a sit com and three full length screenplays. Whether they will ever grace the screen is another matter! But I'll keep on trying. |
I'm fortunate to live not too far from two theatres. The Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, and The Old Laundry in Bowness where the playwright I look up to, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, brings his latest work and old favourites, every year. Other writers I enjoy are Alan Bleasdale, David Nobbs, J B Keane, P J Wodehouse, John Sullivan, J B Priestly and Conor McPherson.
When we travel we take opportunities to visit the theatre. The most memorable is being in New York where we stumbled on tickets to see 'A Long Days Journey Into Night'. It featured Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy and Phillip Seymore Hoffman and they cleaned up all the Golden Globe awards for that season. We're also on quite a few 'Les Mis' visits! |
Biographical As you get older, in case you forget.
I was born in 1940. My great, great, great Grandfather is the huntsman the song is all about, 'Do you ken John Peel'. I have a photo of him and a copy of the letter from the composer, the choir master at Carlisle cathedral, getting the go ahead to publish it.
I was a grammar school boy, then Liverpool University, Regent Street Polytechnic School of Architecture to get professional building qualifications. Later on, Bradford University Management Centre. All this led to a career as the project manager on large construction projects in Northern Ireland and Saudi Arabia. Returning to the UK I had a building company and then became a director of an old established one in Cumbria before retirement.
Between us Daphne and I have three children and eleven grandchildren. |
I was always interested in sport. Dad was a coal miner. He had a break of six years when he played professional rugby league for Huddersfield Town. A cousin was a rugby league star playing for Leigh. One of uncles played football for Arsenal and Everton. At school I played cricket for the County Colts, the local league club, and was captain of the University First X1 and represented English Universities. When I returned to England I captained the town team in the South Lakeland league until retirement at forty when I took up golf. I play a lot of golf.
My taste in music goes from Country to Classic. At University an interval band in leather jackets filled in for a jazz band. They were the Beatles. And I had a poster. But it got lost. Apart from golf my sporting activities are switching channels on the TV to watch football, rugby, golf, cricket and anything else than involves movement and a ball. |
|
|
|
|