Born in Bristol as part of the post World War 2 'baby boom', I was brought up in a Christian family with regular Sunday 3 mile walks to our nearest Church. This was until a sister Church was established, first in our home, then in the local Scout hut and finally in the new building of Christ the Servant, Stockwood.
Church involvement runs in the family with my parents having been Church Warden & Treasurer - my mother was the first female Church Warden in the Bristol Diocese. I have been a server over a period approaching 50 years, a member of West Parley PCC, undertaking various roles, and became Treasurer on early retirement after 40 years in Private Banking.
Ann & I will be celebrating our Ruby Anniversary next year and have two children. Helen, with a home in Durban South Africa, is currently on the mission ship, Doulos, with husband and 2 year old son, while Simon and his wife live and work in London.
Variety has always been my ethos. Sporting activities have included tennis, hockey (Bournemouth Hockey Club with Garnet Lambert) and latterly bowls, both indoor and outdoor, with Ann & I being qualified coaches. Studying for a degree with the Open University became our Millennium Project and was achieved after 6 long years with great personal satisfaction. Since retirement I have become an advisor with the Citizens Advice Bureau, working two mornings a week.
Music has always played an important role in my life, from being taught the trumpet and cornet at the age of nine, by my Grandfather. In my youth I played in various orchestras and brass bands, including the National Schools Brass Band. When I moved to Ferndown, some 35 years ago, I became more involved in choirs and currently sing tenor with the Bournemouth Bach Choir and of course St. Marks Singers.

Born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, from the age of 7 I grew up in Devon, firstly in Teignmouth and later near Newton Abbot, at a village called Highweek. My family owned a village store and newsagents on the outskirts of the village, and I can remember helping my Dad to deliver newspapers and provisions to hilly villages on the edge of Dartmoor in the snowy winters that we had back then!

I attended a 6th Form college in Torquay where I studied computing. Now, nearly 25 years later I teach computing at Bournemouth and Poole College, and I am the Course Leader for the modern day equivalent of the same course I studied all that time ago.

My family moved to Bournemouth in 1989 to run a Sub-Post Office in Charminster. My first job after university was programming computers at Creda (washing machines) in Stoke-on-Trent, but I soon returned to this area to work for a company near Southampton, making rubber for car tyres.

Karen and I married in March 1999 at Hampreston Church, though we started attending St Marks shortly afterwards, as I had been getting to know Tony Watts at the Wednesday Communion Service. For a short time I was Churchwarden, alongside Mavis Brookes, during the time between Tony leaving and Charles arriving, and for about a year afterwards. Our daughter Rachel arrived in July 2001, and from that point being a Churchwarden proved near-impossible due to the constant sleepless nights!

I returned to the PCC last March after a gap of several years. We try our best to fit our Church commitments within our busy life, with both of us working full time, and a daughter with a growing number of hobbies, including Karate, in which she won her Orange belt last month, be warned-

At home we have a number of small animals both indoors and in the garden. I still dream of constructing a model railway in the loft, but never seem to be able to find the time. Another plan is to have a railway running around our back garden, but maybe these things don't get done until retirement!

I am informed that some people wonder why from time to time I am seen loitering (with intent?) around our churches and their associated buildings. Our hard working Magazine Editor suggested it was time to put minds at ease and explain who I am and why I am often seen around trying to look busy

Let us start by saying I'm "Jack of most trades and master of none". Many years ago when missing from a meeting of the PCC they seized the opportunity to appoint me Chairman of a newly formed Resources Group. The Group was charged with the responsibility of maintaining the buildings and keeping them in good order. Apparently it was thought five people would be enough to carry out the required duties provided they were a good mix of virile young enthusiasts. To meet this need all appointees were in their 60s or 70s! Unfortunately over the years the number of people available to the Group has dwindled to two. This is not due to the Chairman overworking "willing horses". Recently the PCC decided it was inappropriate to have a Chairman of a group of two so changed the name to Convenor. On this basis it would seem right that the second member of the Group, namely Frank Sizer should be shop steward. To date he hasn't called for any strike action. Having established the background let us now turn to the type of work done:
The work covers most trades from painting and decorating (there are 64 windows at St Marks) to replacing concrete posts that have failed to resist the onslaught from motorists. Plumbing, drainage, roofing and hedging are some of the other aspects that frequently receive attention.

I was asked to provide the background that prepared me for the role mentioned above, so with much reluctance here goes.
After four years in the Airfield Construction Branch of the RAF I decided that people's desire to fly like birds would be a passing craze and would not catch on, so decided to move from a sheltered air force life and fly off to the north-east to broaden my civil engineering career. After spending nine years in "Geordie land" and becoming proficient in the local dialect, a yearning for new challenges resulted in a move to Essex on work in Essex and its neighbouring counties. Following a further nine years the call of Wessex beckoned and twenty years was spent working in this region - mostly based in Bristol but carrying out a wide variety of work throughout the Wessex region. I retired from full time employment in 1994. Following this I spent three years working as a Consultant partly to "de-tune" and prepare for proper retirement. During my working life "leisure" activities included building Scout headquarters for two scout troops, changing facilities for a local football club and building major extensions to my homes.

I was born and brought up in Bristol and went to a girl's grammar school there. At Bristol University I obtained a degree in History and then a teaching certificate as I had discovered my vocation. Nearly 30 years were spent in teaching in schools in Hampshire, Somerset and the Isle of Man. Promotion came as Head of Department and then Deputy Head. When I moved to this area I worked with old people, and then did supply teaching for a few years.

I have always enjoyed travel. This included spending a year in Rouen as a language assistant at the start of my career to get fluent in French for teaching, and a year in Australia on the Teachers Exchange Scheme, giving me the chance to see much of the continent - and New Zealand. I was also fortunate to go on the first British teachers visit to Communist China. The Millennium saw some interesting journeys - a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2000 AD and a tour through Jordan in 2001 AD

I have many hobbies. The most important is music, especially singing. In 2001 AD I was chosen as the Dorset representative in the BBC choir in Rome, and in 2003 AD was asked by Gordon Stewart to join his small choir to sing 16th C music in the churches there. I have been in various choirs including the Wimborne Choral Society and, of course, the St Marks Singers. That is how I came to worship in St Marks in 2003 AD. Other hobbies include writing - I have 16 pen friends, produced 2 novels (unpublished) and a number of short stories and poems. I also enjoy reading, embroidery, and knitting. I run a group for the local U3A, photography, gardening and I support the Twinning Association.

At St Marks I write a monthly article for the magazine, help with Stepping Stones, belong to BookMarks, and assist with the pewsheets.

After 2 episodes of cancer, I thank God I can still contribute to society.

I was born at Rotherhithe, S.E. London moving to Bromley where I did all my schooling. I didn't particularly like school, and at 14 went to work at a printers, working long hours for 15/0 (75p) a week. I subsequently left and went to learn how to mend cars. After a spell for 20 months I served on the Berlin Air Lift. Eventually moving to Ferndown I worked at Whalleys Garage now Kings Garage having passed the Institute of the Motor Industry exam.

I have lived in Ferndown since 1966, seeing great changes in the town - unfortunately not all of them good. In 1972 I read about the closure of the Swanage Railway so I joined them and do carriage and wagon restoration.

When my boys were young we attended All Saints at Stapehill, all of them joined Ferndown Cubs. The oldest and youngest went on to Scouts but the middle two joined the Boys Brigade where Church was almost compulsory, so I transferred to St Marys. The then Rector asked for volunteers to help with the Pathfinders so I found myself teaching in Sunday School. I was also pressed into joining the P.C.C., the Scout Group Executive and was elected to the Town Council. The Civic Service was my idea. I helped at St Barnabus, Heatherlands while Geoffrey and Phyllis Fry were there, and where the Scout Group I led is based. From there I gravitated to St Marks.

I have no idea how long I have been on the P.C.C. - several years anyway. I adopted one bit of garden where I fight a losing battle with slugs and I also do some churchyard maintenance at All Saints. I like bourbon Biscuits, Amontillado Sherry, Brown Ale, The Apostles Creed and Reading. I watch University Challenge, Crypton Factor, The Weakest Link and anything about Railways. I dislike Favourite Hymns with new tunes, the Nicene Creed, and people; who say "you shouldn't be doing that at your age"