'You should write a blog,' my tutor said. 'Journals are fine but nobody reads them - unless, of course, you're famous, in which case all they want is the dirt.'
And that's how the Bike Shed began. A throw-away suggestion on a writing course that seemed worth a go. I've never had a plan, never pursued a niche, never written a post for cash or sponsorship, nor aired my dirt in public - or not much anyway.
Views From The Bike Shed is my take on the world - the musings of a middle class, middle aged bloke with an eye for what's interesting and what might be relevant in a wider sense.
Someone once described me as a polymath; I had to look it up. But I guess it fits: father, writer, painter, kayaker, cyclist, thinker, collector, nature lover, adopted Welshman, one-time climber and occasional saxophonist. You'll find it all in the Bike Shed somewhere.
And if you really want the personal detail. I'm blessed with three boys and a wonderfully supportive wife; I split my life between Wales, which has been my home, on and off, for almost thirty years and France where I spend increasing amounts of my time.
My book, Counting Steps - a journey through landscape and fatherhood - was published by Cinnamon Press. I was subsequently invited to contribute to an anthology on 'place': Meet Me There, published in 2015. I contribute regularly to magazines and other publications and - to my constant amazement - now make my living as a corporate writer specialising in investor and leadership communications.