ABOUT

During his time at Portsmouth Technical College, David contemplated pursuing a career as a writer. However, influenced by his upbringing in a service-oriented family, he chose to serve in the Royal Navy as a seaman officer. In 1971, he departed from the Senior Service to chase his aspiration of becoming a professional civilian sailor. After enduring several challenging years, he gained the necessary experience and qualifications to lead groups of young Londoners on thrilling sailing expeditions aboard a traditional Norwegian rescue ship. In 1977, David was appointed to manage Ocean Youth Club, the largest sail training fleet in Britain. By 1985, he was recruited by the Drake Fellowship, which he subsequently merged with Fairbridge to establish Fairbridge-Drake, recognized as the UK’s most effective motivational training charity for unemployed youth in urban areas. Eventually, David relocated from London to West Cornwall, where, at an age when many consider retirement, his wife proposed the idea of opening a bookshop. They converted a local tea-room into a beloved café and second-hand bookshop, reigniting David's passion for poetry, leading to the publication of Any Cornish Beach in 2009. Embracing the solitude brought on by the Covid lockdown, David began crafting his first novel, A Flower in Winter.