I was brought up above an off-license, but I don't think that's affected me too much.   My first drinks were from my Dad's can of McEwans bitter at about the same time I had a puff of his cigar - that put me off for quite a while!   I started drinking in the usual manner of cider, then lager, before my tastes matured to drinking ale.   I still haven't really got the hang on whisky yet, but I'm still giving it a go.   Wine is a reasonable, but will never be as good to drink as a proper beer.

My Dad ran a couple of pubs before I could really appreciate the fact - I got a few underage drinks of Banks' Mild (now called Original to be all modern-like) in though before he packed it in.

I've homebrewed since I was sixteen or so - initially as a way of getting cheap beer - but it soon became a way of making a drink I could call my own.   Once I was in the sixth form I could take it to parties & have other people tell me if they liked it - now that was the boost I needed.

At university the hobby expanded to other drinks too: indeed any substance with a fermentable sugar content got brewed away at least once!   Cola, pomegranite mollasses, lemons, liquorice - anything went.   At this time I met another home brewer - Mark - and he & I went into overdrive, supplying drinks for student parties throughout South Manchesterⁱ.  

Progressing from malt extract plus sugar to all malt extracts, part mash then finally the Holy Grail of homebrewing: All grain.   This final step took until I finished uni when brewing decent beer cheaply was no longer the game - brewing the best beer possible was.

My first ever job was at Scottish & Newcastle in Moss Side in their chemistry lab & worked my way around site ending in their microbiology lab before leaving for a bakery.   Every Wednesday afternoon I was allowed out to Hydes over the road to sample their Harp lager that was brewed under license.   Whilst we put cornflakes into our cheap fizz, Hydes would use all malt.   I met Tony the Scouser who was forever having me taste what was new at Hydes.

Soon afterwards I moved down South to Ushers of Trowbridge to test & taste their beer.   They closed down after I'd been there two & a half years & their stainless steel vessels went to Northⁱ Korea.   I went to Southamptonⁱ to start a new carreer as a water chemist & never looked back.

I've been in the water treatment & hygiene industry now for ten years & there are worse industries to be stuck in.   My fourth water company in based up in the North West were I live half my life.   The other half is spent with my wife & daughter in Southampton until they move up to be with me.

I am a none active member of CAMRA - I've done some volunteering at festivals, but I'd rather be relaxing with my mates on the other side of the bar.   Their What's Brewing newspaper has gone a bit downmarket tabloid for my liking.   I go to several beer festivals a year, including; Gosportⁱ, Bradfordⁱ, Manchester & my favourite: Stockportⁱ.

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - though like a drink of beer, with friends in a pleasant surrounding, be it the pub, a beer festival, a picnic or just having people over to try my latest brew.