I first drove a racing car, a Merlyn Formula Ford 1600, at the Jim Russell International Racing Driver's School at Mallory Park in 1972, aged 14. That was a Trial Lesson I'd saved up to do while still at school. I continued three years later with a full Jim Russell IRDS course at Silverstone Circuit in 1976 and a second full course at Jim Russell IRDS in 1977. I also completed a skid control training course at Jim Russel Snetterton.

Following the courses and some practice sessions, in 1978 I started racing with the Jim Russell Racing Drivers' Club (an offshoot of the school) in their own 'closed' races, and won the first race I ever took part in. I went on to do several races with the club and during that time, one day I was asked to help with some instructing because they were sort of instructors.

In those days there was no sitting in cars with people - all the pupils were driving Formula Ford single-seaters and we had to stand at the edge of the track either at the turn point or on the apex of corners and both observe and instruct with hand signals (patting the air meaning slow down for example, and literally standing at the clipping point, pointing at it while an open-wheel racing car was going past only feet away at 70mph!

That was my first experience of instructing, 37 years ago. Since then I have instructed for several race schools, including Aintree RDS, Oulton Park, Silverstone and Rockingham and numerous track day organisers including Gold Track and Javelin Track Days, and corporate driving experiences such as Palmer Promo Sport. I was one of the first instructors to be licenced in 1994 shortly after ARDS was formed and have since held the highest licence grades (both A & S) during the last 14 years.

For the last 10 years I have mostly catered for private customers, from track day enthusiasts, including complete  novices, to experienced competitors, opting not to work for race schools or track day organisers. Although I do work on Race Course and MSA Novice Driver Training Courses (aka ARDS Tests) for my own clients at Anglesey Circuit.