ABOUT
ME
Passionate About Inspiring Others
I firmly believe that Astronomy is the most inspirational aspect of our existence. Understanding the mechanics that govern how our Sun works or even grasping that our universe had a beginning isn't, probably on most people's minds in their everyday lives. However, if we can momentarily let the thoughts of the universe sit in our minds somewhere, we can be part of it every second of our lives.
I had what on most people's radar would be the most unlikely entrance into science. For a large part of my adult life, I worked on building sites as a bricklayer. Eternally confused and frustrated but also happy that my young and rapidly expanding family were catered for. However, in the mid-1990s I decided to change my life in a way I had never ever anticipated. I decided to build a public Observatory.
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Excited and motivated by my love of astronomy I decided I wanted to be part of something special. In 2008 I opened the Kielder Observatory where I stayed for nearly 12 years, starting life as a volunteer I rose through the ranks until I was installed as CEO. During that period I had written a book An Astronomers Tale, starred in an award-winning documentary Searching For Light, featured in countless media broadcasts, and received an honorary master's degree from Durham University in 2012 and then Sunderland University in 2017. I befriended Apollo moonwalkers and interviewed superstars in astronomy.
In spite of all of these achievements and accolades, the one thing I cherish more than anything is my enthusiasm and appetite for talking to people about physics and astronomy, to convey a message that you should never quit, that there is a place for us all in the vast cosmos that we can momentarily be who we are.
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I want to use those many years of experience to help you, with my customised programs of enrichment and training workshops to help you use astronomy to make a difference.