Brian f Simmons

A late-comer to writing any sort of book, Brian Simmons is a former Surrey Police officer whose time in the service clearly informs the character he is today. However there has been much more to his life than thirty years as a Surrey copper, both before and since.

Following a happy and secure childhood growing up at Ashtead near Epsom in Surrey and a somewhat lack-lustre academic career, Brian left school in 1960 to enter the world of work. However, even back then English language and writing were two of the things he enjoyed and did well; indeed apart from Chemistry, English language and Literature were his only academic achievements at GCE.

Unable to settle at work he spent some time initially in electro-chemical research before throwing it up to run off to sea as a steward with P&O which was an extremely steep learning curve and provided bags of material for his future memoir although he didn't realise it at the time. Experiences thus far included almost blowing up the laboratory and dumping a complete Christmas dinner into the lap of a First Class passenger among many others.

His next foray was a ten month period as a constable with the Metropolitan Police which he admits was probably a step too far for a fairly immature nineteen year old and his exit from that was precipitated when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and he wanted to be nearer home.

His first book Stepping Out from Ashtead - 1944 to 1964 is an interesting and frequently hilarious romp through the first twenty years of life growing up in post-war Britain. Liberally peppered with anecdotes these include setting fire to Ashtead Park as a child; getting caught breaking into his own house after a midnight assignation with a couple of girls and being chased by a bunch of angry rickshaw boys in Hong Kong.

Four years in the motor trade followed before marriage and parenthood forced his return to the security of the police service and he joined the Surrey force where he enjoyed an interesting and very successful career before retiring as an Inspector in 1994.

Accidentally morphing into a successful wood-working handyman he built up a good business near Pulborough in West Sussex before departing to live in Spain for a while where a business idea failed to materialise and he returned to Surrey. Here with his second wife Marilyn he resumed his woodworking and added antique restoration, private driving and copy-writing to his range of activities. As if these weren't enough he and Marilyn added a successful Bed and Breakfast business to the mix.

Eventually deciding that if the had to put up another shelf he'd probably go mad he discontinued the handyman activity and turned to his other passion photography whilst somewhere along the way also being bitten by the urge to write.

The second volume of his autobiography Until The Lights Went Out covers his time in the motor trade and police service and provides a further fascinating range of experiences and anecdotes. Other ideas bubbling away include a third volume from the end of his police years up to the present time plus a couple of other possible books still very much in the thinking stage.

In his spare time Brian is an enthusiastic photographer and traveller and also enjoys family research.