A Bit About Me
March 20, 2010
Born in Bristol, 3rd September 1942, the eldest of three brothers, I have some wonderful memories of my childhood. We grew up on a local council estate, from the time I was about five, we had some good friends, a lot of woods, and so-called haunted houses to explore. Our parents encouraged us to use our imaginations, something that may have had an influence on my need to write. But like everything in life, childhood left us very quickly, shortly after my sixteenth birthday my father asked me if I would like a motorbike - it took me all of five seconds to make up my mind, he must have got bored stiff waiting for my answer! Those days were some of the greatest of my life, my two brothers, Tony and Andrew, also had bikes, as soon as they were old enough to get a licence, visiting the Isle of Man several times for the TT races, produced more great memories, anyone who has been to Ellan Vannin will know what I mean. Time marches on, not long after my twenty third birthday I met the woman who would be a guiding light for the rest of my life, married in '66, we had two daughters, who grew up to be every bit as beautiful (we were very lucky on that score) as their mother.
In nineteen seventy three, I joined a family business in the motor trade, with my mother, father, and my two brothers. The business stemmed from a Lotus 7 dealership we had, until VAT killed off that lovely little car! At that time, my uncles, who originally ran the garage, decided to retire, so, we luckily went straight from one business to the other. Those were also years I will never forget.
Thirty two years on, both my daughters have now married, with families of their own, I have been blessed with the most beautiful grandchildren in the world, (I know I'm biased - I just don't care!) I have been on my own again since October '98, deciding to pursue writing as a hobby in 1994, having written the JET! manuscript for amusement, I put it away for two years, not giving it another thought. Stumbling across it one day whilst looking for something else, it was then I decided to pursue it to publication, I still live on my own, but pay regular visits to my daughters, and my grandchildren - and enjoy telling them stories!
Phil Phoenix.
Posted by Chris Woollon.