Born in the UK, growing up in the parks, woods, fields, hills and moors of Yorkshire and Derbyshire. My long-term profession has been as a teacher but I started with an engineering apprenticeship and so have also had a lifelong interest in mechanics. I have travelled quite a lot and spent 20 years in Asia. I make the effort to learn everything I can about anything and everything I do. While working in South Korea I learned Korean, Korean culture, and Korean history. In Japan, likewise, and so on. When I bought a camera I studied everything about photography until there was nothing more to know. If my motorcycle/car engine has a problem I pull it apart, analyse everything, then fix it. My mother sent me to Judo as a kid and by the time I was 30 I had gained black belts in six different martial arts - I am still training - life is just so much fun! I want to know how it all works and now I am on a search for what the Japanese call 'aiki' (the essence that makes a marital art work). I even wrote a book about it. Since 2007 I have been heavily into economics - I want to know what is going on in the world. I now see all history with an economic bent. And since 2011 - Fukushima: Well, I worked with radiation when younger, understand a little more than most, so find it scarily interesting. When teaching I am constantly trying out new ideas and am heavily into methods that stimulate problem solving and memory - we want to remember what we learn, right! Or so you would think - no one seems to follow me. I guess I am on my own path but wherever I go my students tell me I am one of their favourite teachers (maybe they say that to all their teachers). Since 2015 when in Korea, I have been developing a website for 21st Century Education - just throwing ideas around - it is parked at www.emptyjacket.com until I find a better address for it. I hope someone gives me a school to test my ideas on, but I doubt it as I am always the bottom rung of every ladder. Had a guitar all my life - have been playing 2-3 hours a day since 2014 without fail. Love it.