A huge thanks to John and everyone who has made this possible, and to everyone who very kindly cast a vote.

Hi Everyone

My life began in the Bulli Public Hospital way back in '43. The story is that I was so ugly at birth, the doctor slapped my mother! I was first born of three boys into a working class family and spent my early childhood in a little seaside town called Bulli, about 44 miles south of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. I don't think any boy could have wished for a more carefree existence than mine was. Most of my leisure hours were spent on the beach with my mates during summer, even after school from 3pm until around dusk.

My Dad decided we should move to Queensland when I was 13 yo because of my Mum's health which required a warmer climate. We bought a small farm just north of Brisbane in Queensland, and so another idyllic lifestyle ensued, not the least being the beautiful ripe mangoes and pineapples we enjoyed for every day for breakfast from the farm. My High School years followed which brought an awakening that there was more to life than just mateship with other boys, but also an exciting new awareness of the opposite sex. But enough of that, this profile is rated "G" :-)

At sixteen I left school and worked as a Clerk for the Nestle company in Brisbane. I can still smell the chocolates after all these years. After six years in an office I decided that wasn't me, so completely changed direction and ventured into truck driving which I thoroughly enjoyed, and the urge to jump up into the cabin of a truck has stayed with me ever since.

I took the big step at 30 yo and married a cute girl called Carole, not long out from England, who apparently succumbed to the "Bronze Aussie" charm and my warped humour. We have one daughter, Sue-Ann, who at 31 yo has the capacity to spend money like no one I've ever known. I've informed her that she's earned the right to be labelled a "Power Shopper." But she is cute, like her Mum.

But my love of trucking wasn't strong enough to sway me from deciding to have a go at being my own boss as a concretor, the basics of which I'd picked up on weekends while earning a few urgently needed extra dollars to help with paying for our first home. Later on I combined that with Home Renovating, and stayed with it up until a few years ago when a friend introduced me to the wonders of Cyberspace, which completely changed my life, I must say, for the better. That being, the opportunity to meet and love the wonderful people at Adland.

We moved to Caloundra (http://www.caloundratourism.com.au/index.php) on the Sunshine Coast 13 years ago and, once again, as in my childhood, I now spend a fair bit of time enjoying the sand and the waves.

To say I have been blessed is an understatement.

Thanks for listening,