Trained in mental health, alongside many years experience in the security industry (I am 62 now, and still hold and SIA DS licence), I first started working way back in the late '80s, firstly on the doors in the night time leisure industry, and then in close protection - both operations and training - in countries including Russia and the Balkans (during the conflict). I had a small international security training company which I sold in 2000, and began writing my first book Doing the Doors, which became a genre best-seller. I have been writing and publishing on and off ever since, and am now the author of a large number of books including six non-fiction, true crime titles, Finding Work as a Close Protection Specialist (with over 10,000 free downloads, probably the most widely read manual of its kind), and two anthologies about the Kingdom of Bahrain, where I lived for four years. I have also written articles for magazines worldwide including; Signature, Sur La Terre, Gulf Insider, Time Out, Norfolk magazine, Absolute Lifestyle, T Qatar, Exotic Car magazine, and others.
Venues I have worked include:
Charter Hall (events & concerts) – Colchester; Colchester Town Hall (private events) – Colchester, Southend Town Hall (events) – Southend; Norwich Arts Centre - Norwich; St. Andrew's Hall - Norwich; Ritzy – Norwich; Hy’s Nightclub – Norwich; Hectors House – Norwich; Bedford’s Wine bar – Norwich; St. Giles Wine bar – Norwich; Henry’s Café bar – Norwich; Rick’s Place – Norwich; Hog in Armour – Norwich; Peppermint Park – Norwich; Timber Hill Snooker Hall – Norwich; Ronnelles International – Cambridge; The Millionaire – Peterborough; Easy Street – Preston; Digby’s – Mansfield; Gables and Raffles – Wellingborough; Starbucks bar – Corby; Coppid Beech Hotel – Bracknell; Ritzy – Guildford; Henley’s Nightclub – Henley on Thames; Cinderella’s – Kingston-upon-Thames, London; Broadway Boulevard – Ealing, London; Moat House Hotel - Reading; The Mill – Reading; Moat House Hotel - Wilmslow; Equivino (Peruvia) – Wilmslow; The Mirage – Standish, (near Wigan); Loaf – Manchester; Old Monk – Manchester; The Academy – Manchester; The Rectory – Wilmslow, as well as at Le Central nightclub in Paris, France.
Close Protection & Training
I do not currently have a SIA CP licence, but pre-SIA, I attended a six-week close protection course with the Worldwide Federation of Bodyguards (at the time, one of the biggest international organisations of its kind). This led to various international close protection operations with Fortune 500 companies including Exide Technologies and Dow Chemicals, and for The Olive Group in Moscow, Russia, where I lived for a year. I also help set up WFB international close protection training courses in Iceland, Sweden, Russia and Wales; training hundreds of delegates from a variety of occupations and backgrounds including the armed Forces, Police and Prison Services and the private security sector.
Certifications & Qualifications
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