I'm 6ft 4in tall, with blue eyes, brown/grey (or is it grey/brown?) hair and weigh 16st 13lbs, though this is reducing all the time. If you don't or can't measure in English, then I'm 1.93m tall and weigh 237lbs or 107.7kg. I was born in south-east England, towards the end of 1957 - if your calculator isn't to hand, that makes me 54 (eeeek!), but I've never really grown up and doubt I ever will!! Oh...and I'm gay :)

In February 1962 the family moved to Singapore with my Dad's work and I was at school there until July 1968. I then came back to London and went to boarding school at Highgate. The three times a year trips back to Singapore were good fun.

I sat my 'A' Levels in the summer of 1975 and then went on to in London to study Ophthalmic Optics (as it was in those days, now known as Optometry). I graduated with a BSc degree in the summer of 1979.

I then took up a pre-registration post at Stanmore, near Harrow and sat my PQEs (professional qualifying exams) in the spring and summer of 1980. Registration with the GOC (General Optical Council) followed - I was now a fully qualified Optometrist and let loose on the general public with no further supervision!

I stayed with the Stanmore based company for a further year and then took up a partnership running a practice in Slough. This continued until September 1988, when I left and took up a full-time employed post in Oxford.

At the end of December 1990 I left the Oxford firm and started 1991 on my own as a self-employed locum. This is still my current position. I have worked additionally in many places within a 60 mile radius of Slough and a few a bit further out.

I am chair of Bucks LOC (Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee) and have been chair since May 2003.

In June 2009 I was appointed as an Adviser for LOC Support Unit (LOCSU). I headed the working group for the Adult Low Vision pathway project and currentky lead the working group for the People With Learning Disabilities project.

Currently I work on a regular basis at ChiltonWatson in Princes Risborough (Bucks), ChiltonWatson in Amersham (Bucks), Olivers in Chalfont St. Peter (Bucks) and Susan Collier in Prestwood (Bucks).. I live in Burnham, near Maidenhead, with my partner.

There is some useful information about Optometry here