[citation needed] Educated at Nether Edge (which became) Abbeydale Boys’ Grammar School, he trained as a teacher in Birmingham and taught in that city in the 1960s.
He became Senior Lecturer in the Social Studies Department, working on the Clifton Campus from 1976 until taking early retirement some 25 years later.
[citation needed] In 1983 he was elected to Nottingham City Council as Labour member for the Clifton West ward.
[3][4] Whilst serving the latter civic office, he travelled to the United States to present Hollywood actor Kevin Costner with an award recognising the achievements of the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, in which Costner played the lead role and, when he was Lord Mayor, opened the Ningbo campus of the University of Nottingham in China.
[citation needed] Originally a Sheffield Wednesday supporter, he attends every Imps (Lincoln City FC) home match.