I was born in 1952 in Preston, Lancashire, in the United Kingdom, where as male legend has it, is where ‘the men are men and the women are grateful’. But as with Bipolar, another version could be ‘where the men are men and the sheep are frightened’. And already you know something about me – the ability not to take things too seriously.

I was very bright, but easily distracted, and with little concentration, but despite this, managed to secure a degree in Politics in London, before falling, as many do, into a career in Personnel, latterly sexed up into Human Resources. 

I married at age twenty-one, an act of supreme folly, given the Bipolar gave me the maturity of a fourteen year old! She was lovely, but I was no doubt a nightmare mix of charisma mixed with paranoia.  It failed, sadly.

An upward career trajectory was punctured frequently by the worst aspects of Bipolar seeping into the workplace, but miraculously, I managed to move ever upwards, but at great cost to my mental state.  I challenged the condition by exposing myself to things like going on TV quiz shows and becoming a well-known and respected ‘after dinner speaker’..

The one constant joy has been my daughter, who thankfully has not inherited the condition.  .

Little about Bipolar offers constancy, so a relationship like that, is, in my opinion, vital to one’s long term well-being.

I’m opinionated, rude at times, incorrigible, lovable, creative, bombastic, argumentative, caring, happy, gloomy, and much more, often in the space of one day God help me.

God gave me Bipolar, but I came to realise he also made funny, and that sense of humour I was gifted with, made people happy.  It also enabled me to see through and around the absurdity of my condition.  And through my book I hope to have spread a little of my nonsense in the reader’s direction.

 Laughter is indeed a great healer and I commend it to you.