About me

I have lived in Charlton Kings for over twenty-five years, and my three children have been brought up here. All attended the infant and junior schools and two attended Balcarras. Since 1987 I have taught English at the University of Gloucestershire, where I am professor of 19^th century literature. Before that I studied at Cardiff University and Jesus College, Oxford, where I completed my doctorate. My books and other publications have always been mostly in the Romantic period or on Thomas Hardy, but (like one or two other Councillors who shall be nameless) I have a lifelong passion for Bob Dylan's work and this has now become a side-line for me. A few years ago, I wrote a book on his 1960s work, fulfilling a lifelong dream of getting paid for a year or two to listen to obscure Dylan songs and jot down my musings…

I am the Chair, and a founder member along with fellow Councillors, Rob Williams, Rob Reid, and Penny Hall, of the Cheltenham Flood and Drainage Panel, a group formed to voice concerns and issues around the issue of flooding in the town, and Charlton Kings in particular. We often contribute to the planning process, and are looking also to influence the Borough Council, to make it more mindful of flooding issues and the need to implement proper guidelines for planning decisions. For this and other reasons I am looking forward to joining our Parish Council's environment group. I was a signatory to the launch letter of Extinction Rebellion in the Guardian, and along with Joanna Hughes, attended one of its first meetings in Stroud when there were about twelve people only in a room in Stroud, and not so very long ago.

I enjoy reading, playing the piano and the guitar, walking, running, swimming, and gardening.

Why I became a Councillor

I am a member of the Labour Party, and despair sometimes of what seems a democratic deficit in our national politics. I became a Councillor because I was aware of the good work that councillors here and elsewhere (eg Frome) were doing to support and enhance their communities, and in particular I wanted to help with work on behalf of those who feel vulnerable and isolated. I felt that being a Councillor would be a good vehicle to contribute to the identification and implementation of ways to provide this support.