I am married to Margaret and we have four children aged 43, 40, 30 and 28, plus seven grandchildren aged 2, 3½, 4½, 10, 11, 12 & 14 – all amazing!

I was brought up in a Christian home, over the family business in Northampton; was taken to church and Sunday School; met with missionaries and evangelists, and heard my father ‘preaching the Gospel’ regularly. I was taken to hear a preacher called Alan Redpath in Northampton Town Hall during a mission to the town in 1947 (Dad was on the committee) and it was there I made a clear commitment to Christ as my Saviour and Lord. I was baptised, ‘apprenticed’ as a preacher and trained as a teach, from which I have now retired, but am still a school governor.

Margaret and I were married in August 1965, she being a nurse, midwife, then health visitor, and now a Parish Nurse employed by BCF. We spent four challenging years in Nigeria (teaching and nursing) during the civil war there and through various epidemics (1967-71), but this resulted in commitment to supporting mission.

We have been involved in church planting, leadership in several churches and now have real joy in serving as part of the team at BCF, whose motto reflects our own convictions. Currently we are also helping to support a church with leadership needs in Leicester, and preach regularly at churches near and sometimes farther away from a variety of ‘traditions’. Together with two other helpers, in term time, we run a weekly parent a toddler group (Olive Shoots), as well as a housegroup and helping out in the church coffee shop.

A few interesting facts:

Age: 70

Sporting interests: Northampton Saints (of course!), cycling (Tour de France and own bike), tennis (Andy Murray) and generally watching all sorts.

Guilty pleasure: Collecting coffee cans.

One weakness: Steam railways, including a share in a GWR freight loco.

Current headache: Trying to appoint a new Primary headteacher to our school.

Dislikes: Women ‘rabbiting’ and men moaning; DIY; and soggy cornflakes

Likes: Classical music, Stuart Townend songs and hymns, photography, a hot bath.

One surprising fact: Our daughter lives in our garage (it was converted!).

And a motto for life: To be available to the Lord Jesus and know him more.