My life achievements are peculiar to me. I write stories, I’m a story creator, I don’t write adaptations from books – I use life knowledge and experience to spark themes, ideas, visuals and especially characters to create original stories –
Whereas writing has been an integral feature of every aspect of my life to date listed below, purely creative writing is a late addition.
A few Highlights and Lowlights – Not quite the complete Story
1890’s Grandad Frederick Burnett age 16 leaves home in Dover, travels by train to Whitehaven, to start his career as Apprentice seaman, aboard ‘Eagle Crag’ seen here, later to become a ships master then Pilot
1939 Future Parents meet on holiday to Copenhagen in the month before the start of WW2
1944 Parents married in St Peters Church, Grange Park just as V1 passed overhead, they ducked, it missed, phew!
1946 sister’s birth, Parents living at Grandma’s house in Hoodcote Gardens. Winter was very severe, no heating, ice on inside of windows, time for snuggling under the sheets and creating little me!
1947 Born on Wednesday 22nd October, 6.30am at the ‘Towers’ in the Bishops Avenue, London, home of Legendary Gracie Fields. It was 46 degrees fahrenheit and raining heavily. The Pakistani tribal invasion of Jammu and Kashmir began. Hugh Gaitskill, Fuel Minister, announced Coal Miners passed their winter target by a million tons. Arsenal FC tops First Division. Cholera epidemic in Alexandria
1948 Move into house at Radcliffe Road, London
1949 Garden with Chickens, flowers and fruit, Neighbours Mr and Mrs Bunting on one side and Old mother Riley on tother side. Walk away from Mum while shopping, found my own way home
1950 leave home for a midnight jaunt down Radcliffe Road. Rescued by kind lady in Green Lanes Apartment. Flossie my favourite chicken goes into cook pot.
1951 Holiday in Southbourne, Dorset, watch swallows soaring amongst cliffs
1952 start school at Winchmore Primary school. Watch ‘Great Caruso’ film at Cinema whilst on seaside holiday
1953 proficient in the times table, a milestone in my life. Play Cowboys and Indians with Christopher Brown amongst ruins of WW2 AA gun battery concrete buildings on Firs Farm fields and bottom of Bourne Hill
1954 30th June squint at solar eclipse throuh smoky glass in school playground, travel to Edinburgh on ‘Starlight Special’ for holiday with Aunt Mary in Tenement flat. Daily milk delivery by future actor Sean Connery, play Cowboys and indians in back Green below his tenement flat
1955 join Cub Scouts, mugged by Scout in Roseneath Avenue, N21. Uncle Charlie died, buried in Edmonton cemetery. Set light to back door by mistake, could have burnt the house down
1956 watch all Spurs home games for next ten years. Taught by the schools Paedo Teacher. Saturday Pictures at Capital Cinema
1957 Moved to house in Arundel Gardens, London with Anderson Shelter, fruit trees and more. Nearby railway embankment a regular meeting place for local friends, watching steam trains and waving to goods train guards
1958 fail 11 plus exam, attend Winchmore Secondary Modern School, join 163A Scouts at Congregational Church
1959 A liking for fireworks and making home made ones, coupled with accidentally setting off a box of fireworks belonging to Robert Tweedy in doorway, I realise it’s a dangerous hobby and give up
1960 Take up Judo, start paper round, two short lived jobs at Grocery delivery. Periodic ghostly visitations nocturnally by Mrs Spriggs
1961 Holiday to Edinburgh Tenement, neighbours to Sean Connery, visit Portobello, Father said his first and only swear word ‘Sod’. Bought blue sports bike. Help build and finish small sailing boat and go sailing at Herts Young Mariners Base Outdoor Centre at Cheshunt
1962 Bought ‘Condor’ bike frame from Geoff. Cycle to Southend, Hampton Court, round Hertfordshire and other places with Geoff
1963 Watch Cooper/Ali fight on TV. Form teacher is the Schools Paedophile. Left school with a 25 yards swimming certificate. Attended scout camp in studland Bay, Dorset, fights with five scouts, camp was next to WW2 firing range with occasional live ammo going free, Great Train Robbery. Enrol at Southgate Technical College to study O levels, engineering Standing outside 35 Arundel Gardens in London on 23rd November, I learn JFK assassinated the day previous, very sad, heart drops.
1964 continue at Southgate College to study O levels, engineering, summer job at London Zoo, Grave levelling at Edmonton Cemetery. Purchase New Hudson Autocycle. First ride on motorised vehicle…scary! Met Sally. Passed Motorcycle test. Pass 3 GCE O levels and a range of Engineering qualifications.
1965 Attend Southgate College to study OND, summer job at Express Motors in Pinkham Way on North Circular. Purchase BSA Bantam Motorcycle, Brands Hatch at Chas Mortimers racing school on Greeves Silverstone, Paddock Hill Bend had a negative camber, came off at 70mph on Surtees corner, ouch! Keep calm and carry on, of course. Visit BOC and see demo of Thermic Lance. Passed driving test
1966 Hatfield College of Advanced Technology/now University of Hertfordshire to study Bsc Engineering, dropped out. Purchase AJS 350cc Motorcycle. Motorcycle accident, minor injuries
1967 Enfield College of Technology/now Middlesex University, to study HND, dropped out. Collect parts to build Triton Motorcycle with help of Doug Clarke and Ian Kennedy. Two Part time gardening jobs – got the sack from both
1968 Draftsman at Babcock & Wilcox, designed a bracket for Didcot Power Station. Attend big anti Vietnam war demo in London 21st August 1968, Rostropovich played the Czech composer Dvorák’s Cello Concerto at the Albert Hall. I was there when people booed. Earlier that day, Soviet tanks had rolled into Prague. Purchased first car – Ford Consul Classic. £200 3 months later its a ‘write off’ after being attacked by a brick wall. Enjoy music at Fishmongers Arms and 100 Club
1969 Moved into flat with friends, one communist, one Jehova Witness, many parties, many arguments! Work at Edmonton Cemetery, Foreman Fred Giddings sacked me for bad time keeping, Present in Parliament listening to Bernadette Devlin MP giving her maiden speech to the House of Commons 22 April, Visit Karl Marx tomb in Highgate Cemetery, Visit Labour Exchange, along with Cormac and Arthur Rosendale, Road Sweeper for Haringey Council. No training provided, was told to pick it up as I went along. Sunday 20th July, Listening to folk music at Springfield Park Tavern, USA land men on Moon. 1st September, commence RMN training at Napsbury Hospital, London Colney, Hertfordshire, Warm sunny Autumn
1970 start of 4 year professional relationship with Alexander Newman, he had a major influence on my life’s journey from which I shall always be grateful, purchased ‘the’ OZ magazine that sparked a famous Obscenity court case, One puff of Cannabis with friends, Malcolm Bennett, Tersaim Lal, together we wrote, printed ‘anti Psychiatry’ magazine. Purchase Highland Bagpipes for £25. My first vote in the General election. Finally passed my GCE O Level English
1971 Assist administration of ECT, visit Broadmoor Hospital to play volleyball with staff, on leaving walk through playing field with 800 patients responsible for 1200 deaths! Pause for thought, walk briskly towards exit. Future residence of Ronnie Kray? Visited Leavesden Hospital, then largest hospital in Europe for Mental Handicap/Learning disabilities persons. Horrendous conditions!
1972 passed RMN examination, continue work at Napsbury on Acute admission wards. Stayed at Luscombe Farm with Julian David and wife Yasmin(daughter of Laurie Lee), their hyperactive ginger dog, a Pony named Pony and student friend growing Cannabis. Midwife to Cow giving birth. Visit Pixies Holt. Apply for part time Mortuary Assistant job at Dorset County Hospital, after viewing two Post Mortem and some stomach churning, decide work is not for me
1973 see Elf in green and red clothes, pointy hat with bell and pointy shoes, sitting under bush. Holiday on Norfolk Broads. Take charge of Holly Ward and subsequently Rowan/Rosemary Wards. Met future wife, Tell rival Eddie Gill to ‘Lay off’. Buy second hand car – Fiat 850
1974 Discover ‘Elf’ making himself new clothes, mystery solved, sanity restored. Am I glad it was real. Read book on Bonny Prince Charlie, walk along his escape route starting at Newtonmore, after 1/2 mile sprain ankle badly and give up. Application for degree course at Sheffield Uni failed, my treatment of Descartes ‘Existence of God’ failed to impress. Attend Edinburgh High Court for case of Sister Jessie MacTavish, reputed to have killed many patients by lethal insulin injection
1975 May 26th 1975 Ellen and I watch Evel Knievel crash out an injure himself at Wembley Stadium. Buy set of ‘Hardie’ bagpipes for princely sum of £25
1976 Royal Edinburgh Hospital, appointed Charge Nurse of Ward 15 at Royal Edinburgh Hospital, buy first property in same road as Sean Connery’s Mum. Pipe Major Stodart failed to transform me into a Highland Bagpiper. Work interest involves improving dignity, living conditions and activity. One of my patients is ex Queens Chaplain, I write to Queen asking her to find more suitable accomodation, response from a lackey, ‘No chance Matey’ or words to that effect
1977 Married at Reid Memorial Church. Honeymoon in Ireland. At work, Introduce many improvements to the lives of 35 elderly men, my most rewarding lifetime achievement. Open University degree Social Science Module. Care for brother in law pre/post operation for brain tumour. Asked all patients relatives would they like their relation to stay with them over Christmas, no takers, some abuse. Friend Watty shows his photos of Lochness Monster taken from A82 shore road.
1978 Willie Small choking to death, was saved by myself when I turned him upside down and shook him. After several interviews at places as far apart as Exeter, Mold and finally Dorchester, appointed Nurse Manager at Herrison Hospital, Charminster, Dorset, Open University Arts degree Module, continue with care for brother in law recuperating/relapsing
1979 Devise Dependency Studies to plan optimum staffing levels. Staff nickname ‘Hairy Harley’ Open University Ancient Greek Studies module. Buy and restore house in Culliford Road, Dorchester
1980 Devise training schemes for Nursing assistants. Rush to Edinburgh, Aunt Mary has stroke. Elderly Hospital patient walks out, Police decline to help, I organise search party to scour countryside, patient found dead in river days later
1981 BBC production Tenko, wife employed as extra on site in disused quarry near Morton, Dorset. I attended and observed production processes
1982 Visit Verne Prison on Portland….an educational visit, Honest! Hang gliding couse at Devils Dyke near Brighton, dreaming of flying with the birds, foiled by the lack of wind
1983 following several interviews at places as far apart at Whitehaven, Windsor, Reading, Chichester, appointed Assistant Chief Nurse at Hastings Health Authority
1984 member of Project team designing £65 million Conquest DGH, then largest UK Hospital project, 23rd August my first son is born
1985 Devise new shift system for 2500 nursing staff
1986 Acting Director of Nursing for Mental Handicap(Now Learning Disabilities) planning / closing one hospital, planning community based services
1987 devise model and create £40million+ staff schedule for new hospital, Please don’t blame me for any staff shortages
1988 Public presentation programme for new Hospital, take delivery and use latest Amstrad IBM PC’s
1989 Project manage manpower/personnel computer system, 30th April second son born
1990 Medical Personnel Manager. Spoke to Dormouse, he/she stared at me looking, very moving, what was it thinking? Don’t worry, it didn’t speak to me. 30 minutes after telling my son he couldn’t chop wood because it was dangerous, I sunk axe in foot…ouch! And visit to Royal East Sussex Hospital A&E
1991 Member of Ethical Committee, reviewing drug trial Protocols, discover insufficient safety controls putting lives at risk and Consultant Doctors unwilling to enact safety procedures. expose drug company bribery and unethical practices
1992 Managing New Consultant appointments, assessing associated cost implications, writing new contracts
1993 Father died. Ejected from Ethical committee by Consultant Medics for attempting to introduce greater safety for patients involved in drug trials
1994 Numerous reports on improving Manpower utilisation, many ignored. Jumping off a wall one foot high, broke bone in foot, visit to A&E, plaster cast and crutches for six weeks
1995 Current job involved developing Computer system that would ultimately replace me(digging my own grave) Leave health service
1996 set up business, CEO of A R Harley & Sons designing, manufacturing, selling parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and Custom motorcycles. Buy Harley-Davidson FXR motorcycle
1997 design and commission custom Motorcycle and sell for £25K. IP dispute with Harley-Davidson Corporation over business name. They eventually desist.
1998 Design and have built extension to accommodate business activities. Builder makes mistakes, resulting in Litigation. Eldest Son joins business
1999 Visits to Dealers in Dubai, Mumbai, Phoenix, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium. Sold Bagpipes for £900 making my sons and wife happy.
2000 A R Harley & Sons Ltd. Design websites for uk, USA, India, China. Litigation with Builder results in £57K win after death threat
2001 Design and write 200 page product brochure. Artistic direction at Photographic shoot in Belgium. Tuesday 11th Sptember, whilst travelling back from Folkstone on 11th September, listen to car radio news of tragic attack on World Trade Centre in New York, not yet realising the enormity of what happened
2002 Design and manufacture exhaust systems, other parts for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. After two unsuccessful websites, finally design an online selling websites for UK, USA, Netherlands, China in conjunction with Pete
2003 Younger son joins the business. Write feature articles for BSH, American, Indian and Chinese magazines
2004 visits to Motorcycle Shows in Netherlands to show products, business visits to Belgium and Germany
2005 Mother died on same morning as Terrorist outrage on streets and Underground in London
2006 IP dispute with Harley-Davidson Corporation. They were after my website domains. They didn’t get them
2007 legal dispute with business in Arizona, Sculpture Cycles, which owed money for unpaid goods. Ellen my wife gets her PHD 2nd son joins business. China Tour
2008 Arizona court rules in my favour, US$20K win, still waiting for payout. Economic recession, business sold lower than value, Now moved to Preston.
2009 buy land, Design, Project manage, estimate material cost, purchase all materials, build House at Kirkibost, Isle of Lewis
2010 On site managing digger, start of building work, attacked by builder, end up in Hospital. After death threat from ex builder, walls go up, garage gable apex blows down in gale, House walls blown down in gale, roof re-design and rebuild, onwards and upwards.
2011 building redesigned, rebuilt, stronger and better. Protracted debate with Insurance company, success at last, project safe and going forward. Attend Son’s graduation at McGill University
2012 House build complete. Marathon over
2013 visit Highfield Primary School, Winchmore School. Visit Rome, Pompeii, Naples
2014 Study and write screenplays for TV. Visit Turkey, Herculaneum, Pompeii
2015 Study and write screenplays for TV. Visit Delhi, Shimla, Jaipur
2016 Fly WW2 Spitfire, amazing experience. Visit Shakespears Stratford upon Avon – an inspiration. Study and write screenplays for TV. I live in hope and expectation
2017 Exciting times ahead, Tour Classical Greece, truly amazing and inspiring. Attending Lip reading course to help understanding the problems of being deaf ably assisted by Arthur, Dennis and Margaret. Discuss fire services with Tony Giles at Hastings Fire Station
2018 Terrible year, struck down with health issues, three operations, finishing with end in sight. Visit Egypt and cruise the Nile
2019 Visit Jordan, further operation, December Heart Attack, blue lights, A&E, the full works
2020 A totally shit year, stents, pacemaker, relapse due to Untrained NHS doctor cocking up, causing pain, confusion, housebound, Medics denial, five Ambulance A&E visits/hospital stays, Atrial Fibrilation, cardioversion, pacemaker/lead extraction/replacement just before Christmas and finally relief from a seven month nightmare.
2021 Recovered. Future looking bright, have emerged from behind a dark curtain
A few Highlights and Lowlights – Not quite the complete Story. The above inadequately describes some of my life experiences, achievements and failures that help shape the stories I tell.
I am loathe to use the title ‘writer’ until I have a screenplay in production.
I am grateful for script reading and advice from Dee Williamson, Rib Davis, Jacqueline Molloy. Also for advice from Justin Hill, Jonathan Aitken, Charles Macilwrick, Tony Giles, Kai Karhunen. Dennis, Margaret and Arthur for help on a lip reading course and Mark for imparting his experience of being deaf. Charles McIlwrick ex Policeman helped with his knowledge of 1960’s London Policing