About the author
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011, a year after I retired from work as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Unable to pursue my retirement plans (dreaming of sailing in the Mediterranean) but having the good fortune of living in Cornwall, I began to write short pieces about my trips out across the county.
​
Gradually the trips became more adventurous, sites off the beaten track were discovered, and the whole of the coastal path was walked, latterly with a good set of Nordic poles. Slowly the idea of writing the books crystallised in my mind and in addition to the less well-known places, the traditional tourist attractions were also visited.
​
I gathered information by reading something that had caught my attention about Cornwall and then researched it as far as I could from home. If it seemed worth pursuing, I would plan a visit. More often than not there would be an interesting story about the site, which I would write up and file it under the appropriate O.S. Explorer map. I visited all the sites mentioned in the books, took the photographs, and early on realised I needed to do my own maps and diagrams. I have been writing the books for the last 8 years.
​
The writing process was not too difficult because I knew what information I wanted to convey from the research I had done on any particular site. Nevertheless, it always took longer than I had expected, perhaps because I didn’t have any routine!
​
I submitted my idea of the Bedrock Cornwall Books to an international publisher of repute in London but it was apparent that guide books on Cornwall were antediluvian and that information about places to visit was now conveyed on the internet with short and snappy comment. I had begun writing the books for my children and grandchildren so following this initial rejection I thought I would self-publish. I wanted to do this with a local printer and TJ INK in Padstow was the obvious choice and have been very helpful as has my type-setter, Rod Teasdale, who has worked tirelessly and kept me on the straight and narrow.
​
I live in Cornwall with my wife, Susie, and our dog, Star.
​
​