Born in Kilburn, London, in 1948 I received a technically biased education and took an Electrical Engineering degree at Brunel University. Over time I realised that while I was certainly technically inclined, enjoying practical challenges, I was also fascinated by language. This came about as I reached a stage in my career where there was a need to write clear and concise technically oriented letters, and reports, that could be read and understood by non-technical people. Hardly creative writing, but it did school me in clarity and the avoidance of ambiguity. I've also had an interest in the French language since school, where I scraped O-level after just one year's study. Recently retired I have rekindled my interest in French and am actively trying to improve my standard. My first 'book' is no more than a reproduction of a diary I wrote when on holiday in 1982 with some additional material but, as they say, everyone has to start somewhere.