About ME
I was raised in the township of Pudsey, in West Yorkshire, a place once notorious for being a fetid swamp so bad that "t'ducks flew back'ards to keep t'mud out'n their eyes." A place so bad in fact that the scallywags of nearby Leeds used to send unwary travellers to us to visit our famous treacle mines. Yes, really! Beneath the swampy surface was a natural reserve of premium grade treacle - not golden syrup mind you, the proper dark stuff! Today, of course, the swamps are dried up, and the last barrel of treacle was hauled to the surface many moons ago. Now our ducks fly forwards and we buy imported treacle, mined in Latvia, from the supermarket just like everyone else. And yes there is a connection to the infamous B.G.T. dog, which, I beleive, was named after the Children in Need mascot, which in turn was named after the Town (it's creator, Joanna Lane, being born here).
I was educated (to some extent) at Pudsey Crawshaw Secondary Modern School (now Crawshaw Academy) and Park Lane college in Leeds. I now consider myself to be semi-retired, however, having given up the rat race for two or three days a week as a team assistant with NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant) - mopping up blood spills, packing blood bags, cleaning tools, COVID triage, donor aftercare, and pretty much anything non-clinical in supporting the team - and from which I derive far more job satisfaction than anything I've done previously. In the examinations season I also invigilate for Dixons City Academy in Bradford and the Open University. The other days now left spare I spend researching and writing my series of "Season Scrapbook" and "F.A. Cup Scrapbook" football histories.
I was educated (to some extent) at Pudsey Crawshaw Secondary Modern School (now Crawshaw Academy) and Park Lane college in Leeds. I now consider myself to be semi-retired, however, having given up the rat race for two or three days a week as a team assistant with NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant) - mopping up blood spills, packing blood bags, cleaning tools, COVID triage, donor aftercare, and pretty much anything non-clinical in supporting the team - and from which I derive far more job satisfaction than anything I've done previously. In the examinations season I also invigilate for Dixons City Academy in Bradford and the Open University. The other days now left spare I spend researching and writing my series of "Season Scrapbook" and "F.A. Cup Scrapbook" football histories.
