About Then...

The then was a different world, a different place and a different time. B was a very different person.  But after living through the Then, it becomes more and more apparent that the struggle never ends, merely changes form. 

B grew up in the city of Sydney, Australia. In his early twenties he fell into a click that frequented the same clubs, bars and hotspots as some of Australia's most well-known talent; rubbing shoulders with a young now internationally known pop star, an incredibly underrated and talented actor known publicly for a time as wheels, a red head who got the guy referred to in an ad for lamb, himself not without controversy over the years, a local from the old days of Australia’s no. 1 soap before Neighbours, a woman who became infamous for her role of a cricket loving bogan, an incredible disco diva from the 70’s… There was even an unfortunate literal stumble across some INXS members whilst a few of the boys dined at a posh nosh hotel restaurant one evening….another world, another time!

By the time he was 22 years old he'd met a Prime Minister, a State Premier, a Governor General, Sir Elton John, Alison Moyet (who got narky with him),…the names went on.  It was then that he decided that being in the entertainment industry was what he wanted to do and headed to the USA to further his studies.

A chance meeting at San Francisco's City Library one day with the late Robin Williams provided deep thought at a time Robin could not have chosen better if he’d have wanted to. Robin's advice was to 'keep a little bit of yourself for you'.  Poignant words as history would later sadly reveal.

After travelling extensively through the USA and having survived a run-in with Canada’s finest border force (over a camera!), bitten by the travel bug B ended up in ol' Blighty thinking he'd do the backpacker thing and search for much needed inspiration. He’ already learned that some things could not be run away from, no matter how far one travels, but it was the mid nineties and cool Britannia was in vogue. The world had become so big, and he was so small. He was a fish definitely not used to being in such a huge pond. But fate, as it would have it would introduce him to another star, a musician; a woman who was at the right place to deliver a word of advice, like Robin Williams in San Francisco the year before, just at the right time. 

"After years of growing up on a diet of American TV, I was shellshocked to see the homelessness in San Francisco...the racial segregation in New Orleans...I was told to not walk on the same side of the street as the African-Americans...I didn't realise how that would change me until many years later!"

Intending to stay only six months in the UK as a backpacker does and at a point of feeling lost and without direction, the universe brought B a muse in the form of someone he both admired and deeply respected as an artist. Timing as they say can be everything, and as the planets aligned one Saturday morning, he met Annie Lennox of Eurythmics fame in a kitchen shop, they were both looking at frying pans!

A brief encounter and conversation that would change his life. That conversation of about 10 minutes was the beginning of a new journey, the kick up the pants and slap with a wet kipper that he needed. Her advice and elegance convinced him to stay in the UK, get off his posterior and see what would happen...there was nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

B first scored freelance work within the publishing sector. After a time he was offered a job to work on a portfolio of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes products.  It was here he discovered an appreciation and love of digital animation and special effects, and got to work in LA. A career followed which seen him getting the opportunity to work with industry Voice legends such as Billy West, Joe Alaskey, June Foray and Shakespearean genius Sir Michael Gambon.

This period opened up many doors for B and he was welcomed as a member into the British Academy Film & Television Arts. This brought the bonus of attending events where he'd have the privilege of meeting the likes of Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Ford, J.K Rowling, Stephen Fry... to name but a few. It was just like being in Sydney as a young man again. For some reason the universe kept putting him in the spheres of inspirational talent.

After the death of his father, B decided to follow a passion, remembering the advice of Robin Williams and Annie Lennox, conversations some 20 years prior, it was time to remember the art and try to do some good...

He has since produced a number of award winning short films dealing with sexual abuse, downs syndrome and domestic violence, using the shorts medium to tell stories and educate about taboo subjects. These were followed with involvement in two feature films, one looking at the future negative effects of technology through the genre of horror, the other looking at mental health issues. 

Since then B enjoyed a 5 year stint as a regular on radio in Sydney and Canberra in Australia and in Wiltshire, UK.  

The world of course has now changed and human civilisation moves into the fourth turning and the dawn of a new Age of Aquarius. The stories in these pages are a kiss goodbye to the past, from a GenX guy who remembers….