About Me:

I trained at Newark School of Violin Making graduating at the end of the three year course,with a Diploma, in 1990.
I established my own business in Nottingham and moved to my present location in Derbyshire in 1994. My workshop and home now lie adjacent to the Derwent Valley Mills world heritage site, close to the river Derwent and near the former home of Florence Nightingale; a beautiful wooded area of Derbyshire.

Before deciding to branch out and pursue a career in musical instrument making, I was involved in scientific research in the field of psychophysiology, specifically in the area of human stress. My first degree was in Ergonomics and I hold a PhD in Psychology from Nottingham University. I find my background in science useful, both in the workshop and in my ability to advise and assist with customers’ needs.

I have always been involved in the world of music, both as a player and as a singer, in folk and classical music. I am a violin player in a Nottingham orchestra, involved in local folk music as a singer and player, and previously was a member of a very successful folk group Patti O’Doors. I am also a member of the highly regarded chamber choir Nottingham Sinfonia Chorale and have on occasion undertaken paid engagements as a tenor soloist. I find that my customers appreciate the fact that I am a musician.