Curriculum Vitae!
I was involved in sports turf from before I left School in 1988 when I had a seasonal job at Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club (on the outskirts of London) under the then Course Manager Roger Morris who, luckily for me, knew my father. On leaving school Roger offered me a Greenkeeping apprentceship which I jumped at, as I had left school with no formal qualifications. I studied the City and Guilds Level 2,
Greenkeeping in Sports Turf Management at Norwood Hall College from 1988 - 1990, which I duly passed. During this time Roger left for pastures new, and a new Course Manager, Bill Lyon, took over. It was under Bill that I spent most of my seven years at the course, learning some valuable and simple lessons in turf management, construction etc. In 1995 Bill left for a new challenge in
Jersey. I felt this was the time to move on myself, as I was getting itchy feet, and felt I had to try and see what life was like as a Groundsman rather than as a Greenkeeper.
I subsequently got a job at Brunel
University, based at the Twickenham and Osterley Campus which, although I enjoyed, and I learned a lot from the staff, was more of a gardening job. All the sport was either played at the Uxbridge campus or, spookily, at St Paul’s School playing fields just a couple of miles down the
Neil Dixon, Head of Grounds and Gardens, St. Paul’s School, London road!
In 1996 I left Brunel and got a job under
Peter Craig at the Lensbury Club in Teddington, a members club on the banks of the Thames with extensive sports facilities, including cricket, tennis, winter sports and lots more. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and learnt a lot under Peter but, unfortunately, the club was going through a period of change, and it was then time to move on (again). In October 1998, I was appointed Head
Groundsman for the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) in Central London, it meant relocation from the Twickenham area up to EC1, but there was a two bedroom flat that came with the job. The HAC is a Territotial Army unit principally, with a five acre sports ground hosting high profile corporate events, both socially (one marquee erected in June for six weeks, and one erected in December for six weeks) and for sport. The HAC hosted, while I was there, the Malcolm Marshall Memorial match, with a crowd of approximately 3000 spectators and 50 former cricket test players, and also hosted one of the first Twenty20 cricket matches between the PCA and Lashings in 2003.
During my time at HAC I studied for NVQ
levels 3 and 4 at Sparsholt College. I got married in June 1999 and held my
reception in the HAC function rooms. I enjoyed my five years with them, though I was starting to feel I had taken the surfaces as far as I could, so started to look for other jobs (again). In November 2003, I was appointed Head of Grounds and Gardens for St Paul’s School, an independent boys school in London for 1200 pupils. It has a 45 acre campus, plus eleven winter pitches, five cricket squares, grass and hard tennis courts plus other facilities that the boys use.
So what do I do on my days off? I enjoy lots of things, which include socialising with friends (or anyone who will listen to me!) walking our dog, Taz, a white Boxer, following my football team, Fulham FC, holidaying, particularly skiing (slowly) and just generally trying to enjoy the finer things in life!
Get smooth, fast acting relief – all season long
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