I developed a love of farming in my early teens having spent many years working on a livestock farm in South West Scotland, I also spent a year on a dairy / arable farm (milking, calving, silage & potato operations)) and worked on a large arable farm in Essex (mainly corn carting and cultivations) in addition they also reared pigs. I completed an HND in Agriculture at the West of Scotland Agricultural college, on completion I was unable to secure a role in farming so accepted an apprenticeship in manufacturing

I changed career to teaching in 2007 and I retired due to ill health in 2024 from lecturing Agriculture & Land Based Studies at East Durham College (Agriculture, Land & Wildlife, Horticulture and Estate skills).

I am now looking to volunteer (unpaid) on a farm in some capacity in the Durham / North Yorkshire areas. I currently volunteer with a national farming charity 0.5 day a week.