About Me
I was born and raised in a small rural village on the Essex coast and became fascinated by the wildlife around me while quietly sitting fishing with my father. By the age of seven I knew every single bird in my ‘Oxford book of birds’ and this bought me into conflict with a couple of my teachers when I corrected them on local species.
Every weekend and school holiday was spent catching Snakes, lizards and Newts, all of which were smuggled home and into my bedroom, which my parents didnt really mind, although when father found a tank containing Adders he was not so happy.
We had a very famous Bird of Prey artist as a neighbour and I would visit him each night after school and while he painted I would sit beside him examining his collection of study skins of all the british birds, I was amazed at the size and exact colours of a dead specimen compared to that in the books.
At the age of twelve I happened upon a dead Grey Squirrel, tightly grasping my prize I rushed around my neighbours and asked him to show me how to preserve it, he replied’ its beyond you and you wont be able to do it’. I returned home dissappointed still holding my dead squirrel. The following day I went to the library and borrowed a book on taxidermy, closely following each and every step I ended up with my very first stuffed animal and although I followed the instructions exactly my squirrel didnt resemble the one in the picture at all, but I was still very proud of it. For the next few years my parents would return home only to find all manner of roadkill swinging in carrier bags on the front door kindly donated by people from the village.
I perservered and ended up with a collection of some very strange shaped animals adorning my bedroom, but knew I was making progress when the neighbour asked me to mount a stoat for him. I did taxidermy as a hobby for twenty five years when suddenly my life changed direction and I found myself in the position of being able to give up a job I hated and to do taxidermy for a living, I am very pleased that something that started as a hobby has given me the chance to enjoy my work every day of the week.
I have done several shows and demonstrations and love seeing the fascination on the childrens faces as it reminds me so much of myself perusing my neighbours collection as a child.
I believe anyone has the ability to ‘Stuff’ an animal but I think my life watching wild life in its natural enviroment helps me capture the essence of each species and produce a natural looking specimen.
