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I built and maintain virtually everything here, including the power systems, all building trades including plumbing and roofing and joinery. I baulk at doing ground works as digging just hurts too much and plastering walls is the one thing I’ve never become expert at although I can usually get the stuff to stick on the walls!!

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I left school with 2 O levels, tried catering college and by the age of 21 had had more jobs than birthdays. I worked in the oil industry for a while including the Shetland Isles and had an HGV licence so I could always work on the wagons if I needed to. I did learn to read and create engineering drawings at school and over the years picked up most practical skills that you need for survival by observing and trying. My parents and family are all intellectuals so I was taught to read at an early age and I do actually RTFM (usually). One grandparent was a pattern maker for a foundry and I guess that’s where the basic making skills come from.

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But mother was a free thinker, she taught us to read, then opened the door and said, there is the world go and explore. So here I am still exploring and learning on a hill side in Wales.