The principal content of this web site relates to my brain injury, recovery and career. I also wanted to have an area for other stuff, which is the purpose of this ‘About’ section.

Myself

This particular sub-section is an independent location for me to publish random material about myself.

There’s content as varied as bricklaying, poetry, quiz-mastering and Halloween.

My Father

My father was born in south-eastern Poland in 1928. The Soviet Union invaded his homeland from the East in 1939, shortly after Nazi Germany triggered World War II by invading from the West. In 1940 he was shipped on a cattle train to a Soviet labour camp in Siberia, where he remained until the Nazis redirected their aggression towards the Soviet Union. Following this event, my father served with the Polish free army in Palestine. Subsequent to the end of World War II, he came to live in England and gained UK citizenship.

I wrote an article for a creative writers’ club encompassing part of what I knew of my father’s war-time experience, as well as citing wider events and pertinent matters in his life.

​My Niece

My niece, Emma, wrote about her perspective on some of the events which unfolded following my injury.

I think of Emma’s story as a thumbnail critique of what happens inside a loving family when confronted with a traumatic event.

Francis Hamlett

I wrote a little about a man I had family ties with who was a good friend to me; the phrase larger than life would be a good way to precis Frank.

I’ve included a tribute from his loving family.

Lewis Roberts

I became good friends with Lewis Roberts from Leek in Staffordshire, who at the age of eighteen suffered a severe brain injury following a collision with a vehicle while he was walking along a pavement. Lewis was officially certified dead and kept on life-support equipment solely to hibernate his organs for future donation purposes.

After a miraculous escape from imminent death, four years later in 2026 he’s making remarkable progress on his inspirational recovery journey.

Roy Smith

My friend Roy was a retired senior construction engineer from Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire. Through curious circumstances, he spent an unexpected amount of time engaging with the rich and famous during his career. My favourite anecdotes of Roy’s are:

  • Being the best friend of Oliver Reed while they were on National Service duty
  • His witnessing Fidel Castro with tears in his eyes, as he hugged severely injured Cubans returning from war in Angola
  • Prince Philip making a politically incorrect (by 21st century standards) joke to Roy on the Royal Yacht Britannia

Roy was always happy to be considered an ordinary guy; regardless, he had a fascinating life story to tell.

Greg Weston

Greg is a friend who suffered a severe brain injury in 2011, from something as seemingly trivial as tripping over on a pavement. Among numerous items, Greg’s page contains a video of his brutally honest appraisal of his personality changes during the early days of his recovery.

Greg gains much contentment from helping others, which is evident from the charitable endeavours he’s undertaken.

Staffordshire Oatcakes

Staffordshire oatcakes are a savoury delicacy in the Potteries region – Stoke-on-Trent surroundings.

A particularly popular oatcake has bacon, cheese and mushroom toppings, along with a drizzling of brown sauce. 😋

Polish Restaurants

In August 2024, I commenced creating a register of Polish cafes and restaurants in the UK.