Ken Tilbury

Born in South Africa a direct descendant of the British 1820 Settlers, Ken Tilbury was educated and grew up in Swaziland. After leaving school he was employed on a cattle ranch as a hunter until at the age of 18 he left Swaziland to join the Rhodesian Police.

After serving for three years Ken married and left the police force in 1965 to pursue his dream of farming. With the threat of terrorist attacks on farmers, he joined the Police Anti Terrorist Unit. He was involved in the Rhodesian 'Bush War' for 15 years as the country struggled for independence.

Towards the end of the war Ken returned to Swaziland on contract on a developing sugar estate for 10 years. He moved to Natal where he started a successful labour broking, tree felling and cleaning business in Durban. He sold the business to return to country life and farmed bananas and bred crocodiles on the South Coast.

Plagued by theft he sold up and moved back to farm in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)to farm in the country he loved.

In 2003 he was forced, under threat of death by Mugabe backed farm invaders and land reforms in Zimbabwe, to leave his farm.

He and his wife Collette have settled in the UK where he uses his life-time experiences to write books set in Africa, the country he loves.

They have six children and eleven grandchildren.