about me

Mmm, where to begin? Ok, the facts; James B Walsh; 49 years old; Gemini; engaged to Pippa; our daughter Esther Mae is 4; our son Noah is 10 months. I have two children from my first marriage, Jamie-Louise, aged twenty-five and Jack, tweny-one; good kids.

I was raised, the middle child of seven (good, Irish Catholic, background), by fantastic parents (my father died four years ago). By the age of fourteen, I was out drinking regularly with my Dad. At some stage I became an alcoholic and spent twenty odd years in a haze of abandon, running away from life, responsibility and everything! On Easter Monday 2000, I awoke in Basildon hospital and promised my son that that was it, never again; I haven’t touched the stuff since, and I gave up the fags Easter just gone (so I might live to see my little kids grow up).

During my drunken days I, clearly, screwed up being a husband (beyond repair) and a father (I’m very close to my kids now, thankfully). In addition, I had a stream of jobs ranging from the mundane (insurance sales, mortgage sales, doors and windows sales) to the ridiculous (consultant to local authorities and even consultant director to a bailiff company!).

Equally daft, I guess, was a nine month spell as co-owner and manager of a bistro wine bar (now, that really is a crazy job for an alcoholic!) and the eight years that involved spending countless nights in pubs, clubs and restaurants working as a professional singer.

Having gotten sober, I became a teacher (and very quickly wished I was still a drinker!!), I met Pippa and got happy. I now live in Gloucester and teach in Swindon where the kids are great and I love my job.

I'm a lucky man. It's funny, the games life plays.

*Just reading this shit has lost you three minutes of your life that you'll never get back!

** I've been away from Authonomy for over a year now, and I've really only come back to support a friend (Nerd4158) who is new to this. I am active on my bookshelf, but I'm not yet back into messages and comments, so please be patient with me! I may stick around for a bit.

favourite books

Charles Dickens - Paulo Coehlo - TS Eliot - Paul Weller

my websites