I was born on the 7th July, 1957 to Joe and Doreen Haynes in Rotherham, part of what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire but is now just known as South Yorkshire (or the peoples republic of South Yorkshire depending on your political persuasion).

We weren't well off but we got on OK and I had a happy childhood. I was a fairly quiet, shy child and often preferred my own company to that of other children. Most of the time my favourite activity was reading and I had ambitions to be a writer at that time - sometimes I still have.

When I was 16 I almost specialised in History because I thought that I was more likely to get good A' level results in it but Science, particularly Chemistry, was always my first love and It didn't take much to make me change my mind.

Owing to some personality defect I had wanted to be a teacher for some time so when I was 18 I went to train at Matlock College of Education in Derbyshire. The best thing that can be said about this is that Derbyshire is a beautiful part of the country and that I made some very good friends while I was there. I also met my first wife - but we wont go into that :(

In 1978 I got a job in Leicester at Soar Valley Community College to teach Chemistry and Science to 11 to 16 year olds. I've been there ever since although they have now abolished Chemistry as a subject in favour of "Combined Science". The school is multi-cultural in the true sense of the word being made up of British, Asian and African-Caribbean students. It has certainly broadened my outlook.

I have one thing to be greatful to Soar Valley for (apart from employing me!) because I met my wife, Dawn, there. We were married in 1993 and I don't think that it is possible for two people to get on better than we do.