About Me

I worked for 32 years in Communications, taking early retirement in 2003 at age 50.

I then became a full-time carer for my Dad, who was in process of dying from bowel cancer. Being an only son, the responsibility fell on me even though Mom was still alive at the time. She couldn't cope with watching the man she had loved most of her adult life and been married to for 51 years slowly get worse due to that terrible illness.

Dad passed away in 2006 and by that time Mom was in a care home mainly because she had a stroke in late 2005 which meant she no longer could she get up all the steps in the family home and particularly the stairs. And to be honest, I couldn't cope with looking after both Mom and Dad at that time.

After Dad passed on I decided that I'd rather have Mom at home - I would move on to be her full-time carer. So I used some of the inheritance to remodel the house and get a through the floor lift installed and convert her bedroom by adding a small bathroom ensuite. This meant that she could use the lift to travel from the rear lounge, with views of the garden, straight up to her bedroom/bathroom.

Mom returned home in July 2006 and I set about caring for her. This I continued to do until she also passed away in April 2009.

When I first started to care for Dad, I also created a small business providing web design and website management services to a small group of businesses. As it was a home-based, I was able to do the work in between looking after Dad, often when he slept.

When Dad died I decided to create Mawddach Dreams as a way of celebrating his life and at the same time, I started my family tree on Ancestry.com, which has since developed into a major hobby. The website keeps expanding when I have time as does my understanding of my ancestral families.

My other interests are Aston Villa F.C. - for my sins, I have supported them since my uncle took me to the centre of Birmingham to watch the civic reception when they last won the FA Cup, in 1957, I was 4 years old & can remember the occasion as if it were yesterday! I am also interested in narrow gauge railways, which I have worked on in the past, actually achieving the boyhood dream of driving the steam loco on passenger trains & gardening (my Dad would tell anyone who listened that Bill couldn't grow weeds) - now I have a small garden with 2 climbing rose trees and raised beds, tubs & a hanging basket. I did all the construction work to create the raised beds, steps & different levels, a process that never seems to end.  

I support a small selection of charities & elsewhere I say which and why. And occasionally give to other causes that perk my interest.

Today I still run the business, look after my garden and the house and try to enjoy my (semi) retirement.