I trained as a potter and silversmith at the then Regional College of Art in Manchester, UK. I entered the teaching profession in 1966 and in 1973 became Head of The Art Department at The King's School in Macclesfield where I remained until my retirement from teaching in 2003. Demands of the teaching profession 'interfered' with my ceramic output but I continued to accumulate experiences which were to become important influences on my work. These included an introduction to Quakerism, to Jonathan Livingston Seagull and to Kahlil Gibran.
In 1994 I spent some time with Jim Robison, the nationally renowned sculptor/potter, who introduced me to a process led method of working which has become the foundation for my production techniques. Some time spent with David Nash, the internationally renowned sculptor, also influenced my way of thinking. Although I continued to produce ceramic work throughout my teaching career, it was in 1994, after a series of personal crises caused a reappraisal of priorities, that my output became more prolific.