For many years I’ve been researching stories behind familiar places in the New Forest. These places include woodland tracks, quiet lanes, rivers, and open heathland, so much of which was transformed during the Second World War. 

I am not interested so much in war itself – it’s more the human stories that interest me, and the impact the conflict had on local landscapes, archaeology, and social history of the area. 

My aim is simple: to tell clear, accurate and stories that connect today’s landscape with the people who once served here – and I do that with the talks I give. 

But I also do this with my written work. 

Each month you can read my history articles in the Waterside Herald paper.

Exbury’s War (Published 2026)

I have recently written a book about the Exbury during wartime, exploring how Exbury House and estate were taken over by the Admiralty and transformed into HMS Mastodon in preparation for D-Day. This book will be published in 2026.

I am currently working on further titles, including a detailed history of RAF Needs Oar Point, and also one on RAF Beaulieu.

Each book combines archive research, maps, and photographs with first-hand recollections. I intend them to give a clear picture of how these New Forest airfields operated and what they meant to the people who served there, the local population, plus the lasting legacy these sites maintain to this day.