NIGEL BRIDGES
      Kinnaird, No. 4 Capilaw Road
      St Boswells, Melrose
      Borders Region
      Scotland, TD6 OBJ

      Tel:  01835 822818
      e-mail: nigelbridges@rocketmail.com

BACKGROUND

I was born in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders in 1958 and educated at Jedburgh Grammar School and Hawick High School. I have recently added Kelso High School to that list having studied for an English higher there and sat exams in May 2009. I think this will help my writing! At 51 years old I was a bit of a novelty to the other pupils but I like to think this fits with the Scottish dictum that education is a lifelong activity.

I went to Welbeck College, the Army's sixth form college, from 1974-76 and from there to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. I was commissioned into the R.A.O.C (Royal Army Ordnance Corps) in 1977. I obtained an in-service Bsc honours degree in Management Sciences from U.M.I.S.T. (Manchester University) in 1981. Including my spell at university I spent a total of six years in the Army during which time I served with the Royal Marines as a logistics officer in the Commando Logistic Regiment. This included active service in the Falklands War in 1982. I was also lucky enough to visit Cyprus, Norway, have a brief visit to Ascension Island and even spent a couple of hours stuck on a runway at Dakar in Senegal.

I did many interesting things in the Army including winning an R.A.F. flying scholarship at Sandhurst and gaining  my Private Pilots Licence in 1977. I played four games of rugby for the Army in c1980 and played once for the Royal Marines c1982.

I left the Army in 1983, fully intending to pursue a new career as a furniture maker but got slightly sidetracked!  I worked for a short time in the former mining village of Newtongrange, outside Dalkeith. I then got a place at University College, Oxford to read for a Msc in Industrial Relations at the Oxford Centre for Management Studies (This is now Templeton College). I was unsuccessful in obtaining this bit of paper (circumlocution for 'failed') but still gained a fabulous education. This led to the City of London in 1984 where I joined Wood Gundy Inc. (a Canadian investment bank) and trained as a stockbroker in Canada. I could never quite find this stimulating so changed my role and stayed at the company for a further four years managing communications and information technology. This was the dizzy world of de-regulation ('Big Bang') and massive expansion of the City (It is worth remembering that de-regulation was the idea of Mrs Thatcher's government). Managing dealing room projects was an exciting challenge but I still wanted a creative/artistic life.

I applied for a place at Parnham House, the famous school for craftsmen in wood, run by John Makepeace and was offered a place in 1987. Romance got the better of me and I decided to get married instead - to Tania, the best decision I have ever made, and I hope hers too! Cabinet making, being a practical skill, there is no substitution for 'getting on and doing it' so I returned to the Borders in 1989 to set up a workshop.

I have been making things and 'doing my art' now for 20 years. It is not an easy life and like most ventures has its frustrations but it is immensely fulfilling. I have recently (2009) embarked on an Open University degree in Mathematics which I hope will eventually allow me to do some teaching. The mathematics will also add a new dimension to my creativity.

ALSO SEE MY CV