I have lived in Alverstoke since 1984 and feel privileged to live close to Stokes Bay a place which I have discovered has a rich and fascinating history.
I was born and grew up in Melbourne Australia. I started working for the Victorian Railways as an apprentice electrical fitter and went on to become a civil engineering draftsman. I always had a deep desire to travel and in 1973 I left Australia to fulfil my dream of seeing the world. I sailed in the passenger ship Australis across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans via the Panama Canal stopping in eight ports and eventually anchoring off Stokes Bay for 24 hours before docking in Southampton. Little did I know then that I would one day make my home on the coast I had been looking at.
In 1975 I started my career working in the offshore oil industry for a diving company operating out of Aberdeen, Scotland. I worked as an air diver, then air diving supervisor and finally as a saturation diver until I retired in 2016 at the age of 67. My diving career took me all over the world and to many locations not found in tourist brochures.
I met my wife Hazel in Aberdeen, and we were married in 1983. We have two daughters, one of whom was born in New Zealand when working in New Plymouth and I now have four granddaughters. I have been a member of the Friends of Stokes Bay committee for almost 30 years and over that time have organised litter picks several times a year, worked with local schools and businesses giving talks about the impact of litter and also the rich history of the area.
I have been a member of the Gosport Society committee for 8 years.
I have been a member of the Historical Diving Society (HDS) since 1991 and on their committee as the Museum Director since 2008. Following discussions with the Council, the HDS were given permission to set up the Diving Museum in No2 Battery on Stokes Bay and the museum opened its doors in 2011. My main task is fund raising and the priority is to raise funds for the restoration of No2 Battery to save the Grade 2* listed building and develop the Diving Museum to establish it as an important tourist attraction for Gosport. Through working in the heritage sector, I am on the Advisory Panel for the South East Museums Development Programme and on the steering committee for the Hampshire Military Museums Network. I use these platforms to promote the rich heritage that Gosport has to offer.
I was elected a councillor for Alverstoke Ward in 2018 which is my local area and is a natural progression in my desire to be involved in and help the local community.
I sit on the Regulatory, Community, Economic Development and Climate Boards. I am the council representative on Heritage Open Days, on the Gosport Museum Joint Management Committee and council representative on St Mary’s Alverstoke Parish Centre Management Committee.