I graduated with forestry from Bangor in 1964 ,then went to Montana and took a Masters in Forest Recreation, returning in 1966 and worked for a firm of land use consultants.  Jobs included landscaping the aluminium works at Holyhead.  By 1970 I had formed my own consultancy, specialising in small-scale forestry, countryside recreation and tourism.  

In 1980 we bought a 63-acre wood in the Sussex High Weald, and for the next thirty years turned it into an award-winning tourist attraction and education centre, where multi-purpose forestry held it all together.  We were indeed blessed to be able to build our own house, work from home, run our own business in a worthwhile field, and be an exemplar of enlightened land management.