I trained as a Chartered Surveyor at the insistence of my father, who was not only a Chartered Surveyor but past President of the Rating Surveyors Association but decided Rating Surveying was definitely not for me.

I did however develop a deep understanding and appreciation of architecturally interesting buildings and had always enjoyed conversation.

I was a partner at Ekins, Dilley & Handley, Chartered Surveyors, in 1984, a 24 branch practice, throughout Cambridgeshire, where I had taken time to qualify as a financial consultant and registered mortgage broker, but together with other partners decided to leave and create a new firm of professional property agents and a separate financial consultancy and mortgage brokerage.

The new firm had expanded to 14 branches by 1988 at which time we simply couldn’t refuse an extremely generous offer and sold the business to the Royal Insurance Company.

I subsequently created a building company with two divisions; one building new homes and the other buying dilapidated properties, renovating and selling on.

I then set up another company selling French property to the UK market.

In 2008 I travelled with my wife to Dubai, where I qualified as a Registered Property Broker. We enjoyed our time in Dubai, which is an amazing place to live and work, but decided to return to the UK in 2010.

My years in the property business have been most enjoyable and I still have a deep interest in all aspects of this fascinating market, including residential, commercial, acquisitions and disposals, development funding, loan consolidation and equity release.

Every day can present new challenges and I genuinely enjoy every day.