Thursday 7 January 2010

Hello!

..and welcome to my Blog!

As this is my first post I thought I'd write something about who I am and where I'm from!

I was born in 1963 in Forest Gate hospital (no longer there!) within shouting distance of Upton Park.

Most of my childhood was spent in Manor Park, latterly at a house on Romford Road (no longer there!) and I went to Avenue Infants and Junior school (no longer there - are you seeing a pattern?)

At age 12 we moved up the road to Ilford, where I spent my teenage years. Attended Ilford County High school, took A levels and then got my first job as a trainee surveyor

There's two major interests in my life, both started around the same time. The first is music - I had lesson on the old family joanna from a youg age. The second was martial arts, which started with my dad taking me to a judo club in East Ham.

At 18 I got into my first band (The Academic Hamiltons) and also started serious Kung Fu training with John Ding at a club in Barkingside

I guess I had the usual upbringing for a lad of that time and place, there was always a lot going on, politics and music were very active at the time, plus of course all the youth sub-cultures (Mod) and football stuff (West Ham of course)

Over the years my involvement in music waned but I persisted with the martial arts, eventually becoming a full time instructor in the mid-90s. More recently I took up music again (Hammond organ) and currently balance my work between teaching (Systema), making DVDs and playing music

I'm married and live in rural North Beds - a far cry from E12 but the country life suits me now!

Over the coming months I'll be posting thoughts and experiences on training, music and anything else that I feel like!

Be seeing you

Rob



1 comment:

  1. Hi Rob, like it you the man and yes I am still living,, just ha. Dave Nicholson
    tazz200505@yahoo.co.uk

    ReplyDelete