He attended Merrywood Grammar School, Bristol before studying at Bristol Polytechnic (now the University of the West of England). He played in goal for Bristol City FC from 1971-1973, before a serious injury ended his sporting career. From 1974-1978 he worked in various administrative and general management training roles in the newly formed Avon County Council. He developed his public sector career at Kingswood Borough Council where, in an unusually diverse job, he did such things as purchase the old LMR railway track which ran from Kingswood to Bath for the princely sum of