I left Air Traffic as an ATCA 2 at Heathrow in 1977, and initially worked for a seismic surveying company, but realised within six weeks the field was way too academic for me. A friend suggested over Sunday lunch that we set up a small building business; he had a couple of small contracts in Chelsea, Holland Park, and Whitehall Court, during which time I acquired a City & Guilds Bricklaying certificate, and with a few text books was learning enough to be able to install domestic wiring to Electricity Board standards.

In late 1979 I departed to Mexico to marry an archaeologist, archaeology as well as aviation and architecture being my 3 main interests. Whilst there I worked briefly with the British Chamber of Commerce, represented a British Civil Engineering Consultancy looking for projects in the ports and harbours field, and latterly, my father-in - laws high quality printing business.  

Visiting a country as a tourist is one thing, but living and working there is another. The corruption and crime I came across was most upsetting and distasteful on occasions, but I was grateful not to experience todays drug problems that are so profuse across the country………..During the time I was there, I travelled to LA for six weeks (work familiarisation), but managed to update my PPL and do some nice trips, some at night, up to San Francisco.

When in 1982 our dollar account was frozen and Mexico was suffering dire financial straights, I decided to come back to UK for a break. When dining with an old friend one evening, and casually mentioned that I could really do with putting my heart and soul into work of some sort…….I was pleasantly surprised when the next morning I had a message to contact a BBC production assistant who was looking for someone to help him out on a refurbishment project on a mansion flat in Kensington. To cut the story short, through him I ended up with around 7 years of work on two thirds of 3 blocks of 12 mansion flats just off Kensington High Street.  I

I did go back to Mexico for a few weeks during the early period, but the country was still the land of “Mañana”, as well tacos, tequila and topes!

I  met here a lovely lady who desired to marry me so that we could have a family, and after a traumatic still birth at 38 weeks, we were most fortunate to have a very bright and healthy daughter in 1991, who since leaving Cambridge with a medical degree is now GP in the Cotswolds.

My son-in-law has acquired similar aviation interests, member of The Tiger Club, delivered a 1935 Boeing Stearman to Saudi Arabia, and flying instructor light aircraft inc electric., and this is when he’s not earning a crust in software. I unfortunately let my licence lapse years ago, but no doubt many of ATCO 28 course still fly.