Andrew Foote

How do you approach the problem of writing a biography when you consider yourself to be very average and perhaps even boring?

Okay then. From the top.

I was born in 1951 to a middle class family, my father being a reasonably successful insurance salesman, - my mother, as was the norm in those days, wasn't in paid employment. I was raised living in Reading, England, and on leaving school aged seventeen, I joined Reading Borough Police as an officer cadet, however after only one year following graduation as a fully fledged officer, I decided that it wasn't for me and tendered my resignation.

Following that I drifted from job to job, finally settling for a career in engineering, first working for a Swiss company who manufactured precision machine tools, followed six years later by joining a German company who manufactured computer controlled metal fabrication systems which embraced my speciality of High Energy Industrial lasers.

Following many years with this company, and having worked all over the world, I left them to set up my own business, - that of servicing and installing laser equipment to industry, both in Europe and North America.

In 2010 ill health forced the closure of my company, so I bought a narrow boat to live on, relax on and explore the extensive inland waterway network of the UK.

Still awake?

Splendid!

Now, the suggested format dictates that I tell you what I write about and why.

Answer: Much of my writing revolves around rivers and canals, fictitious adventures and situations, but not to the exclusion of all else.

I have been asked why many of my characters tend to be gay teenagers, and that's not something easily explained given I'm a happily married hetro male with two adult kids to my credit! I guess one explanation is that it's not a genre that's often explored, - another might be that it can bring an edge to a story given that many gay teens don't feel as if they're represented through literature.

Whatever. I realise that it's not to everyone's taste, but I offer nothing by way of an apology.

Two books so far. 'Boy on the Towpath' and 'Another Life'

I hope you read them, but on a positive note? If you don't like them, you can always use them to light the bonfire!

****Update****

In March 2025, a third book hit the shelves. 'B,R,A, and E,Y, N, K, Y, W, T, K, A, Q, M, or.... Bees, Red Admirals, Ants, and Everything You Never Knew You Wanted To Know About Quantum Mechanics'. This is a spoof, and is certainly not supposed to be taken seriously, far from it... It's about as ridiculous as the title would suggest. Is it funny? That all depends on your sense of humour, but I hope you find it giggleable!

Andy Foote.