I was born in Yorkshire with a Scottish mother and Yorkshire father and currently live in Yorkshire with my other half Elenid, who is a first language Welsh speaker. We visit Wales frequently to visit her parents, who live in Aberystwyth, often travelling back home via North Wales and staying in locations around Gwynedd. The drive to and from Machynlleth through Corris and Brithdir is probably the most lovely road I’ve ever taken.

Prior to returning to my old stomping grounds, I lived and worked in the USA for over a decade - mainly on the west coast - and then several years in Fife Scotland and in the Brabant region of Belgium, although my French is much better than my Dutch!

I hold a masters degree in aesthetics and a doctorate in theology and moral philosophy. I have always been fascinated by ideas about Celtic identity and language and currently this is playing out through a new interest in Welsh literature and history. I’m particulary interested in the Brythonic past, in Yr Hen Ogledd, and currently I’m doing research into the work of David Jones, the Romano-Welsh tradition of thought in modernist art and literature. Visits to the National Library of Wales where David Jones’ archives are held is convenient, since the Library is located about five minutes walk from Elenid’s parents’ house.

I’m also a horticulturalist, growing mostly edible crops; and a viticulturalist and wine lover.