I was born in Hereford and lived South of the River Wye with my parents in Putson, where my mother still lives. I attended St Martins Primary School, and then secondary education at Haywood High School where I represented the County in Rugby, Basketball and Athletics. I held school records at the 100m and Long Jump. While at school I was also ballboy at Edgar Street where I had met Brian Clough and Lawrie McMenamy as Hereford United were competing in the then second Division now Championship.  I continued my education at Hereford Technical College where I studied Retail and Distribution. Jobs were hard to find in the early 80s and after a couple of seasons hop picking at Pomona Farm in Bartestree and temporary work at Sun Valley I found my way into laboratory work with Northern Dairies,  Scott & Newman grain store and Sun Valley feed mill.

In 1986 I finally got a job in my true passion; a record shop I had grown up with through school and college with punk, new wave ska/two tone and new romantics going to gigs at the Rotters Club in the Market Tavern, Winter Gardens in Malvern and Birmingham Odeon. So in the Autumn of ’86 I started work as a Sales Assistant in Music Market in High Town which soon became Our Price Records. Within 18 months I had received two promotions and was running my own branch in the High Street in Worcester.

I purchased my first home in the City at Redhill opposite the then Mr Ts. My career continued with a return to Hereford to manage the High Town and Maylord Orchards stores simultaneously and became a director and Chairman of the tenants association, who remembers the Teenage Mutant Turtles turning on the Christmas lights!

After a move of home to Holmer and now having a family, a change of career after 17 years was needed. I became self-employed, with many options now open; Property maintenance, Brewing and Bar services, DJing with Kut n Paste, Secret Disco, my alter ego DJmoononastick, and band promotion.

In 2015 I was asked to stand in the City Council elections and became ward member for Widemarsh and 2019 was co opted back onto the Council for Racecourse ward. I am currently Chair of Hereford Bid, sit on the Herefordshire Business Board and The Stronger Towns Board. In 2019 I set up the Herefordshire Men’s Mental Health group with Euan McPherson of SiL and a year later we won two awards for our work with men with mental ill health.

I am very proud to have been elected as the 1st Citizen of the City by my fellow Councillors and become Chair of the Council  the 639th Mayor of the City of Hereford.

My Mayoral Charities are UNITED IN THE COMMUNITY who facilitate high quality football for people of all ages in Hereford. They provide a service which promotes health and co-operation in our community. My other charity is THE PHOENIX BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT SERVICE. They help children, young people and their families when someone close to them dies.