I was born in 1958 into a working class family of seven. My father was a former coal mineworker, my mother also worked most of her life.
I left school at sixteen with no qualifications and joined the royal navy. I was in the navy for five years. Some of that time was spent on Polaris submarines, which at the time were part of the nuclear deterrent. On leaving the navy I met my wife and subsequently had two children.
It was after leaving the Navy that I first began painting. Art is not something you do in our area unless you do nice picture postcards, so for many years no one saw my work although I did try some local galleries but they only seemed interested in wallpaper.
However, I have always believed that my work has something to say and I still believe that to this day, but you the audience must be the judge of that.
"Welcome to the Machine"
4ft x 3ft, £250, completed in 2000
