I was born in Liverpool 1951, son of Tom and Violet Gilbert, both professional musicians. I went to Boaler Street Infant and Primary school near Sheil Road and then, after the Eleven plus exam, moved to The Liverpool Institute High School for Boys between 1962-69. After my teenage years in 60s Liverpool, I managed to scrape into South Bank Polytechnic in London in 1969 where I studied Sociology.  Having achieved a degree, I was unsure how to progress my life and reverted to working on building sites as I had done for many summers. I qualified as a plumber, attaining advanced city and guilds, but by 1979 was looking for a change again.

I started working as an auxiliary nurse at St. Cristopher's Hospice, Sydenham, from where I moved to the Maudlsey psychiatric hospital.  Finally in 1982 I started my registered general nurse training at the London Hospital, in Whitechapel. I was a NUPE nurses’ shop steward and Branch Chairman of the shop stewards’ committee.  I was actively involved in all aspects of trade unionism and also in the Miners’ Support Group during the 1984 strike. I qualified in 1985 and worked as a staff nurse in the recovery unit in theatres until upping sticks and moving to Sheffield. Subsequently, I have worked as a nurse in neurosurgery, intensive care, nursing research and lecturing at Sheffield University before finishing my nursing career as a charge nurse in the speciality of care of the elderly. In 1995 I achieved a Master’s degree in Health Care Ethics. I packed up nursing for a multiplicity of reasons in 2006.

I married Kath in 1988 who I met on a ward in London when a student nurse.  She is a sister in neonatal surgical care. We have two kids, Tom, who is 13 and Evie who is 6. Evie has Charge Syndrome and is deaf/blind with severe learning difficulties.

The births of my children have been the driving force behind changes I have made to my career and, indeed my entire outlook on life.

I am presently devoting myself to music and writing, my real passion during all these years.