Biog.

Born: Liverpool
Aged 8-12: Chorister in St.Hilda’s Church Choir
Aged 11-14: Played violin in school orchestra
Aged14: I was too embarrassed to have violin case when girl’s school bus came by so switched to the more “trendy” guitar.
Aged 16: Started writing songs
Aged 17: School Band: “Freebird” including Mike Askew, Dave Stoker, Mark Lloyd, Kevin England & Bob Swindells

Jammed with classmate Ed Alleyne-Johnson: www.muntfish.com/alleyne-johnson
- He would have looked trendy carrying a triangle!
- Ed made a name for himself with New Model Army & now solo career
- You can still see Ed busking in the streets of Chester at weekends
- Mike & I saw him recently & he played an impromptu performance of his own
version of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”

University Education: Nottingham

University Revues: Comedy songs/sketches “double act” with Martin Orrell

1983: Dave Stoker’s Liverpool band “3 Days In March” played a lot of my material

Recordings
1985: “Out to Lunch” by “Out to Lunch” 6 track cassette
Out to Lunch was a studio recording involving Martin Orrell (co-songwriter), Dave Stoker (descendant of Bram), Mark Lloyd, Elaine Ferns & Fred Lloyd (formerly of 70’s supergroup “Smokie” & no relation to Mark) at the once Garden Studio based in a Liverpool dock warehouse.

1986: “ Love Games” by “Back to Basics” 6 track cassette
Back to Basics was the next project & a Chester-based band –we gigged pubs - our home turf was upstairs in a Sam Smith’s house, “The Falcon”. The band was a natural progression from OTL with Lloydy on drums & Bram on lead guitar. Elaine & Martin were busy elsewhere. Sue Lewis added her vocals & Steve Lewis (no relation) played bass. I followed up a colourful advert on Rushworth’s noticeboard to sign up Johnny “Synthesiser” Close. The final piece of the jigsaw was the talented saxophonist, Mick Owen, who sadly, just missed the studio recording at “Asylum Studios” in Ellesmere Port. Other people to appear on occasions were Michelle (singer) & Jonathan Thompson (trumpet).

The band did a couple of late revival gigs in 1988 & 1989 but the members gradually all went their own way but friendships were maintained.