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I live in the Swanlow area of Winsford in the very heart of Cheshire and am descended of a family that has lived in the Northwich district, especially the parish of Davenham, for several hundred years. I have three adult sons who all live in Macclesfield.

For thirty years I served the people of Cheshire as an officer with the Cheshire Constabulary. On retiring in 1998 I worked as a Community Safety Co-ordinator with Vale Royal Borough Council until April 2007. Having now retired from a professional life in public service, I now spend much of my time researching local history. I have been appointed as a Justice of the Peace and currently sit on the South CheshireBench at Crewe Magistrates Court.

Since my school days I have had a passionate interest in the history of my home county. My interests resulted in obtaining a B.A. in History (Manchester, 1991) and an M.A. in Local History (Keele, 1994). I have written many articles on various aspects of Cheshire History . I am a regular speaker/lecturer to local history and similar societies and  a part-time lecturer in the subject with local adult education centres. Over the years I have taught classes on local history research and detecting family history at a number of adult educational establishments.

As well as being a member of a number of academic societies in the region, I have completed  two three-year terms as chair of the Cheshire Local History Association and am now an active member of its Executive Committee. I am a member of the Winsford & District History Society of which I was chairman for many years During the 1990s I wrote and edited a short series of the Winsford History Society’s publications: The Winsford Record. I am currently Chairman of  the Northwich Heritage Society.  Finally I am currently chairman of the Winsford U3A and run two of their groups - Local History and Family History.