Eric Ward

Eric Ward was born in Dulwich London in 1950 moving to Norfolk in 1970. He is married with four grown up children. Eric attended Heber Road infant/junior school and later Thomas Calton Secondary Modern in Peckham. On leaving school he drifted for some time from job to job and started several small businesses including, ice cream sales, window cleaning, painting and decorating. He eventually, by chance, became involved in engineering and this led to a job traveled the world working for an American oil exploration company. Following this, in early 1980, he was involved in the construction of the Stranraer roll-on roll-off ferry, responsible for the fitting out of the hydraulic systems and pipe work. He attended Norwich City College where he gained a National Diploma in Management Studies. He later became a manager within a German engineering company based in the UK. He took on additional responsibilities for health and safety. He studied Health and Safety Management at Leicester University and gained a Masters Degree MSc. He later became Compliance Director for a Major Construction and manufacturing company before going freelance as a Casualty Risk Surveyor working for some of the largest insurance companies in the world. As a Chartered Member of the Institution of Safety and Health (CMIOSH) he lectured and taught health and safety throughout the UK. At the same time he was a health and safety columnist for a oil gas and shipping magazine. In 2001 He cycled across Kenya raising several thousand for charity. He retired in 2015 and now lives with his wife Brenda on the North Norfolk Coast.