You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
Although I was born into relatively humble circumstances, I consider I was blessed to be born into a loving family, with loving parents and grandparents.
Now as I approach my sixty-eighth birthday, I’m an old man with a number of chronic illnesses, but I still try to count my blessings. I have two wonderful children and five grandchildren plus two step-grandchildren.
Life is good.
What are three objects you couldn’t live without?
A camera, a computer and my photo collection.
What experiences in life helped you grow the most?
If you look after a plant; nurture it, water it, feed it and give it light, it will likely grow and blossom. If you neglect it , it will likely wither and die. People are a bit like that. They need food and shelter, love and warmth, then they will blossom.
Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
The first eight years of my life. It’s when my dad was alive, and he was a wonderful man. He treated me like I was one of the family. 😊
After he died, my mum took up with a fellow who was emotionally and physically abusive. So my life then was pretty miserable for about five years until I left home.
But what makes me what I am today is a combination of good and bad influences. I believe in having compassion for others, for strangers. That we can treat each other like brothers and sisters.
So, for God’s sake, treat your rellies like they’re members of your family, and strangers also.
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?
I would love to be the best version of myself.
Photo was taken in 2009 while on honeymoon in the north of France.
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
I’ve renovated several houses, so they’re the most ambitious projects. But my favourite project was building a solar powered garden shed.
If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?
I wouldn’t ban any language, that’s all a bit 1984 and George Orwell.
The philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein,said “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”
But the way language is used can and does hurt. So some language, I claim, should be used carefully, judiciously, and with a a healthy dose of circumspection.
I would class hate speech in this category. It’s nearly always unnecessary. Sometimes all you need is the truth. If, for example, someone is being a bully, call them out on it. Speak truth to power.
Choose the truth. If you have difficulty doing that (and who doesn’t?) follow Jesus’s example. He not only told the truth, He was the Truth.
Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.
1964, when I was six years old, my dad bought me a working toy camera. It was called a Diana and I believe it came from Hong Kong. I had great fun taking photos with it, and my dad developed the negative and enlarged the prints. I’ve been into photography ever since.
Write about your approach to budgeting.
Just as I was approaching retirement, my mum died, and she left me enough money to buy a two bedroom apartment, so we pay no rent. We also don’t run a car, and we have free bus passes. So we just have to pay domestic bills and buy food.
I pay for most of the bills and missus pays for most of the food. If we eat out, I usually pay for that.
We keep separate income streams and bank accounts. Our main source of income is the UK state pension, which is just short of £1,000 per month each.
I donate to three charities by bank mandate, and any surplus cash goes into tax efficient savings accounts.
I thank god that we have more money coming in than going out. It would be a different story if we were paying rent.
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
Ideally, I’d like to be a citizen of the world. I believe in the brotherhood of man and woman. I think we should focus on what we have in common rather than what we have that’s different. After all, Jesus said it, that we should love one another as we love ourselves. Peace! ✌🏼👋🏻🙏🏼😊🌹
