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I served an apprenticeship as a toolmaker and later trained as a design draughtsman both on component and jig and tool design. After this I opened a motorcycle shop and turned my hobby into my living specializing in british motorcycle sales, spares, repairs and making spares for them.

After a couple of years I closed the shop and went back to working for other companies. Since then I worked as a draughtsman working in a firm which made powerboats, completed a course on petrochemical draughting, worked in the aircraft industry engaged on jig and tool design for CNC manufacture where I first encountered CNC machining.

Initially I used to do the jig and tool design and the math calculations for the CNC programmers. I was later trained on CNC programming and also on process planning. At this point I was engaged in all aspects of production engineering and the CNC programming was done by manual methods. After a while the company bought a mini computer with CAD/CAM software on it and I was sent on the course. This was in 1980.

As I started using the CAD/CAM system in work and getting more familiar with it I wanted to be able to write code to do things the CAD/CAM software couldn't do. I bought a home computer and started to teach myself BASIC programming in my spare time.

After being made redundant I started to write software at home and sold some of it as well as writing software in work for special applications. I developed a CAD/CAM system at home in my spare time and after 2 years work I sold my first system. I then worked as a course tutor teaching computing and later as Production Engineering Manager.

I next set up a company which I ran for 6 years mainly specialising in engineering design CNC programming and engineering and computer hardware and software services.

I later closed my company and went back to work for other companies combining my engineering and computer experience writing software to improve the existing systems and supply systems where there was none before. I have installed software I have written in 3 different companies to enable the transfer of CNC programs to and from the CNC machines on the shop floor and the computer systems in the offices usually called DNC.

I now run my own company again called FRS Services which specialises in all aspects of manufacturing engineering including Estimating, Process planning, jig and tool design, BOMS, CNC programming as well as computer services including both hardware and software systems.encompassing writing software, building, repairing, and upgrading computers.