The young owl

According to my aunts, I’ve been asking questions since I could talk: I was known to my family as ‘the professor’, wanting to know ‘what?’ and ‘how’ things worked, for example. So it could be that my quest for truth is an inherent part of me. I was always a bit of a loner at school, preferring to observe than to participate, all the time I see now, trying to make sense of . . . well, reality!

Learning to think

With a solid education at a 'good school' (MSC Brackley) and respected university (Bangor, Wales, then called UCNW) my brain was further encouraged to analyse and reason, to store facts and to absorb knowledge. So much so, that when I did leave college I joined Mensa!

However, all was not totally left-brain: at uni I found I enjoyed singing and acting: folk clubs and Gilbert & Sullivan. And so I started to explore feelings and emotions . . . and to express myself. Is this not why most of us go away to college: to feel some freedom and start to be ourselves?

Tigger & Pooh

When I eventually stopped living with my parents (at the tender age of 29!) I became known (it's a long story) as ‘Tigger’ . . . and I explored my freedom a bit more. . . and became a Morris dancer and panto performer. The Tao of Pooh became a firm favourite as I began looking for wisdom rather than facts and figures.

Something more

In 1987 a couple of things happened which shocked me out of my rational mind and content, if rather lonely, bachelor existence: the girl I fancied and was chasing after at the time, told me to 'piss off' . . literally. I was so stunned I started to realise that, well, perhaps there was something wrong with me. I'd started my real quest: for truth.

I also found that I could dowse: I could divine broken bones, water . . . even a bug in an early computer programme! And so began an exploration of all things psychic, spiritual, mythical and New Age. I began asking more serious questions, like 'who am I?' and 'what am I?' . . . and making a conscious effort to 'sort myself out' . . . to find real love in my life. I knew now that logic . . . and things we're taught, don't have all the answers.

In parallel with all this I was employed by Plessey (later GEC-Marconi) at their research lab near Towcester exploring what makes electronic things reliable and how to integrate Quality Management systems into useful tools for Health & Safety and Environmental control (for example). Such topics took me to conferences and standards meetings around the world. All great experiences and wonderful ways to expand the mind. (See here for my CV)

Flying the roost

Until this time I'd always thought I'd continue to live in the Northamptonshire villages I'd been brought up in, with their lovely pubs and canals to walk along, for the rest of my life. But what did I know?

In 2002 I met Liz and we, as new couples often do, gave each other our terms of affection: I became ‘The Owl’. Thus, when we moved to the Algarve in 2005 I became The Owl of the Algarve. Indeed our first stay in this wonderful part of Portugal was at a Quinta de Coruja – Owl cottage:

  A 3 year retreat

We moved to the Serra de Monchique, the mountains of the Western Algarve, with the intent of running retreats in our renovated quinta. Although we did have a few guests, who all appreciated our tranquil setting, Liz's food and what workshops and wise words I could find for them, as a business it wasn't viable. More to the point, I found out that whilst I enjoyed being amongst nature for some of the time, to have only trees for company was leaving me frustrated. I realised that my active mind and expressive nature needed to be sparking off other humans.

So in hindsight I gave myself a three year retreat, during which time I had to face myself, dark side, demons and all. Liz and I were ideal mirrors to each other, further enabling us both to look at and deal with a lot of of conditioned 'stuff'. The peace and stillness, away from most of humanity, forced me to see the realities of humanity, which I'd been trying until then to deny. But we can't live in constant denial, can we!

As it dawned on me that I needed to be amongst active minds, so I was guided back to Bangor and everything quickly fell into place to enable me to start my postgrad research. As I write, the physical move is taking longer and many medium term practical questions about my future remain open . . . and my challenge to stay 'connected', amidst the tests that life brings to us, continues. Although I know that my latest 'leap of faith' is what I need, this time I resist the temptation to build up hopes and expectations . . . they only lead to disappointment!

  In conclusion

And so my unique combination of genes and upbringing, Leo nature and probably a few other inherent factors, have brought me where I am today.

In many ways I'm just an ordinary bloke. What might make me different is that, for some reason, I never got quite so caught up in the 'normal' things of childhood (like football!) or of becoming a family man. Instead I gave myself time to step back . . . and see the world (and myself) in a broader and deeper perspective than is the norm. I see, sense and feel thinks that few others do . . . and don't really have any choice in the matter! And so I accept this is what my life is about: even though my quest for a deeper truth and greater meaning to life makes me different and, often, isolated, my quest has to continue. And the more I can share this and enable others to expand their view of the world, I more fulfilled I feel: hence this web site! I am always happy to hear from anyone who also relates to the sort of things I write about.

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