Some keynotes from my life.
I was born 1960 and raised in Manchester with three siblings, and my parents were socially engaged, working class, intelligent and creative people who ran a shop. We were rooted in our cultural lineage of 'celticness' with connection to our Irish, Scottish and English heritage, with Scottish and English Country Folk dancing a part of my childhood. We buried my dad in his full dress kilt in a green burial site, as he would have wished for.
They brought to me a connection to the wild, camping, sailing, cycling, folk music and dancing. They had a tolerance of my wayward stepping out of the mainstream to explore many things alternative along 'The Road Less Travelled'. Had my back (as best they could) while I made my mistakes. They and the post two world wars northern working class culture I was pickled in gave me plenty of wounding. Which has brought me many pearls in the grit of it's rubbing. They never gave up on me, for which I am grateful.
I attended a Comprehensive Secondary School in South Manchester which was very multi cultural, half my friends were first generation born in the UK, their parents immigrants from across what was then known as the colonies. Which gave me a deep understanding of cross cultural friendships, being treated with love and kindness by families who opened my eyes to a fascination and wonder of our global human family. They opened up the doors into Afro-Caribbean, Pakistani, Chinese, Indian, African, African-Asian worlds in particular. Probably the reason I undertook an overland trip to India in the mid eighties, when hardly anyone did such things.
In my early adult life I studied Social Sciences in a broad eclectic innovative course and Ceramics at University in Manchester, as a first generation Graduate. We had many placements and visits to various social institutions.
Then I went to Hereford College of Art to train in Studio Ceramics. A change of heart drew me from academia and social work to a more nature based way of life out of the city and to pursue my creativity. After gaining my Certificate I spent a summer working in an Italian Pottery, then headed west. With just my bicycle and tent I landed in Hay-on-Wye, where I rented a caravan in a farmyard.... wondering what on earth to do with myself.
I then worked as a community artist in South Powys for an arts centre, and later as a potter in Sennybridge, Wales.
In this period I foraged for wild food, learned to live simply, cycled everywhere, started gardening and growing vegetables, recycled, ate wholefoods, read widely, sketched avidly, and learned that when you sit quietly little creatures rummage around at ones feet. I also embarked on a 'spiritual quest' to find some deeper meaning and contend with my mental health issues.
It was also an informal rehabilitation time, as I came off excess drug use, I was a bit psychotic. This was when I started to explore healthier methods of self discovery, happiness and mental health; which had not been available or visible to me before. I became a bit insufferably addicted to being pure, and being enlightened, which I find quite amusing now I am more realistic.
During this period I also travelled overland by hitch-hiking, bus and train to India in the mid eighties on an 8 month adventure through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India. Having saved to go travelling by working in a factory, while working I learnt Tai Chi, Buddhist meditation and Spiritual Healing . I travelled with an English Friend and a Dutch women joined us in Turkey. This journey was a life changing experience which gave me a faith, hope and trust in humanity which has endured. It also brought me to my senses, as a flawed human being, understanding more about my self. An antidote to my hard done by beliefs, and the value of how we are as much as what we have.
On returning to the UK I then worked in a wholefood shop in Hay on Wye and then at the Centre for Alterative Technology in Machynlleth https://cat.org.uk/ helping to build the a water powered cliff railway top station out of green oak and pitch pine. Notable for it being mainly being built by women (and me) lead by the forewomen Cindy.
Then I continued on their building team for 5 years. Met my now wife Liz Terry, fell in love, and started a family. Our daughter was born in Corris. In a self made birthing pool at home, of course, when it wasn't a thing. A big thanks to the midwife who's calm eldership held us beautifully. The maternity unit soon afterwards got themselves a birthing pool btw.
In this period I spent time with home educating families, helped run play schemes, played with children, kept on cycling a lot and got into alternative festivals and family camps.
Later with Liz Terry my wife and our daughter, we moved to Pembrokeshire to help set up an eco community on a 60 acre farm called Brithdir Mawr near Newport Pembrokeshire to live a simple life - a 12 volt eco community into home education - where our son was born, also in water much to the midwife's and the doctors' delight https://brithdirmawr.co.uk/
Later moving to near Cardigan, after having our fantasies about community living somewhat dashed, and some truly wonderful experiences there.
Since then I have been an eco builder and carpenter, and yurt maker. www.iantosyurts.co.uk/home.html .
During my professional life working with practical skills, I have coached and mentored many young men as apprentices. As I was coached and mentored by many fine builders, tradesmen and good men in practical skills and how to be a better person.
I worked at Wynstones School (a Steiner/ Waldorf School) where I managed the buildings, land and estates for 10 years. I also got involved with teaching pottery and working one to one with some of the children and young people who were not able for a variety of reasons to engage within classroom activities. This became a great experiment for me in how to be a part of a complex flat organisation, and develop management and people skills. Learning how to get things done with limited power and by using influence. And exploring different paradigms in education from the mainstream.
I have since been a yurt maker, builder and carpenter alongside my work with JourneymanUK and Pathways to Ventures. I have a practical and creative orientation to work and life and have spent much of my working life doing and making things with people in teams.
During these years I have maintained a keen interest in social issues, politics, socioeconomics, race, gender, ecological living, the nature of being human and our inter relatedness as nature. And finally came to peace and resolution with life long depression and anxiety, after a prolonged collapse into suicide ideation and panic attacks. Which became the gateway to healing.
Over the last 20 years I have practiced martial arts - Shintaido, Karate and Tai Chi. www.shintaido.co.uk/ Shintaido is definitely the best non-violent relational martial art and meditative practice I have done. It is a life changing embodiment practice, which I regularly use in my mentoring and coaching.
And I continue to break free of my conditioning to enjoy dance, music and festivals.
I am a father of two now adult children, 24 and 28, who are my inspirations. Our son is an Economics graduate about to start an MSc in modelling complex systems. My daughter graduated in Sociology and Psychology, and is currently working as Sustainability Officer for a University Student Union. They now teach me and help keep me up to date with contemporary issues.
I like outdoor adventuring and being by the sea, in the mountains and amongst the forests and rivers. I like to cycle, read, and watch too much YouTube.
I live in Stroud, with my wife Liz Terry, in a rather remarkable market town that is a fertile ground and birthing place for many remarkable social movements and creative hotspot.
A special mention goes to Liz, a truly remarkable woman, whose CV sort of indicates the kind of person she is.
https://www.singforearthday.co.uk/
https://womeninpoweruk.com/
https://www.pathwaystoventures.org/
https://naturalvoice.net/practitioner/lizterry
https://www.lizterry.org.uk/
And this is just a part of what Liz has done and is doing …
I have a special connection to the wilds of West Wales where I lived for two decades. In particular I have lived in Brecon, Hay-on-Wye, Machynlleth, Newport Pembrokeshire and Cardigan.
