A Potted Biography
Born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, Paul was educated at Tiffin Boys Grammar School.
Joining Midland Bank in September 1980; he was employed at six different locations until, following the deaths of both parents, he left full-time employment in February 2000.
The next ten years were spent concentrating on organ tuition and development, gaining the DipABRSM in Organ Performance in December 2004, and giving several recitals within the City of London.
The following ten years prioritized service to the Church of England, initially going through its’ full discernment process, before commencing training as a Reader (lay minister) in 2011, and being licensed as such in September 2014.
A settled and productive period followed, serving two of the six Anglican parishes in Bexhill-on-Sea (also being active by invitation within a third) before the initial ‘Stay-at-Home’ Co-vid order was issued in March 2020 - which effectively marked the end of Pauls’ ministry as a Reader.
Sadly, with the resumption of public worship at the end of the second national ‘lockdown’, Paul realised that he had been unsettled by various changes within the national and local church brought about during this time; and after a period of sabbatical reflection agreed to by his diocese, he realised that his only conscionable action was to relinquish Reader ministry - which he did in a face-to-face meeting with his licensing bishop in July 2021.
Since that time, he has eked out an income from his organ playing duties at local churches in and around Bexhill-on-Sea, helped since July 2022 by a modest pension from HSBC. He has also written occasional articles for two parish magazines within the Bexhill Anglican community.
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Paul was invited to become an Oblate of Elmore Abbey in July 2011 (an Anglican Benedictine monastery in Newbury, Berkshire, now existing as Salisbury Priory). He is a member of a dispersed and online Julian group; and is a member of the Congregation of St Romuald - a neo-monastic grouping of people following solitary monastic practice, which is based in Switzerland.
His perspective in writing, thus is primarily formed within the above experience, which comprises over forty-five years as a communicant member of the Church of England, and forty years as a practising church organist. He enjoys travel when funds allow - especially in France, which he has visited in excess of twenty times.
