I was born in Malta in 1962 of English parents. My family returned to England in 1965 and settled in Somerset in the south-west of England.

I was interested in music from quite an early age, due in part to natural inclination, and in part to growing up to the sound of the piano - my elder sisters practising after school and my Father, who plays by ear, in the evening. My Father managed the local provincial theatre in Street, so I had opportunity to take part in amateur musical productions, as well as see many professional ones. Occasionally, quite famous names would turn up to perform at the theatre such as Barry Tuckwell ( the legendary horn player), or Paco Peña and his troupe. Through these exciting early experiences at the theatre I began to develop an enthusiasm for music making. I took up the trumpet at age ten and played a variety of three-valved brass instruments before changing to trombone at thirteen, taking music examinations up to grade VIII. I spent alot of time while I was growing up playing in wind bands, small brass ensembles etc. My interest in the classical guitar began as a young teenager listening to classic recordings by Julian Bream and John Williams. Although at that age I had absolutely no idea that I would end up making guitars, the sounds of Bream's extraordinary playing stuck in my head, stored up for later use. I didn't start to play classical guitar until I was 20 when I found a guitar lying around in the house where I was living at the time in Germany.

A year later, back in England, I decided to go to art school and went to Reigate School of Art (1983 to 1985) studying the manuscript crafts of calligraphy and illumination. I spent a further year at City and Guilds of London Art School, Kennington, London, practising letter-carving, stone-carving and sculpture. After finishing art school I began to paint (fine art pictures), whilst painting and decorating to earn a living. After a couple of years I got into more specialist decorating working for a decorative artist in London. I was also painting and exhibiting my own work during this period.

In 1993 I decided to make myself a guitar after being inspired by the fine work of a friend and fellow guitarmaker, Simon Ambridge. Simon was making in the Torres/Hauser tradition and it also became a starting point for me. Having made one guitar( after reading all the books I could find on the subject in Westminster Music Library), I wanted to make a couple more, and so it went on. I'd got the bug. In 1995, after making several guitars in the tiny back bedroom of a small flat in Battersea, I moved to Lewes in East Sussex. Once in Lewes, I began to concentrate on guitarmaking, initially sharing a workshop with Stephen Hill, another good friend and colleague. Stephen was already established in his way of working and style of instrument, heavily influenced by Granadan makers such as Antonio Marin-Montero. After about 18 months I moved out to set up my own workshop. I've moved around a bit since then ( in Lewes) and currently have my workshop set up at home, where it is more convenient for me to able to look after my 5 children.

I still paint when I can find time, and produce limited edition prints from my paintings. Currently I'm working on some paintings inspired by rocks and tree-bark which I photographed in the Australian Daintree rain forest in 2004.