Born in East Belfast in 1956 to a working-class family, I grew up within the state school system. After leaving school in 1971, having not passed my CSE English exam, I began full-time work as an electrician. My early interests were modest—stamp collecting and music—but at eighteen, I discovered my true passion for life as a disc jockey, performing in local pubs and clubs across the area.

That career, along with my work as an electrician, came to an abrupt end in May 1980 when I lost my eyesight during the Troubles. At the time, I was the father of two young children, Grahame and Alexandra. The strain of that difficult period led to the end of my first marriage to Yvonne in 1982, though we remained on good terms.

With time to reflect and rebuild, I taught myself to type and began writing with the help of a laptop equipped with text-to-speech software. In the years that followed, I remarried and obtained a ham radio licence, which opened the door to volunteer fundraising work for a local charity supporting the blind and disabled. When illness eventually forced us to step back, we moved to a smaller home by the sea in Portavogie.

It was there that a friend challenged me to write my first novel. After countless rewrites and several audiobook versions, it neared completion—but poetry and song lyrics soon became my true creative outlet, especially after the sudden passing of my wife Kate in 2002. Writing became a source of focus and healing during a time of profound grief.

Around that period, I also explored new friendships online, even travelling to Texas in 2004 to meet someone I had connected with. Although those connections eventually faded, they marked a turning point that led me to join Ards Writers in Newtownards later that year. I have remained an active member ever since, finding support and encouragement among fellow writers. Over the years, friends have given me affectionate nicknames such as “The Romantic Poet” and “Write It Down Dave”—the latter inspired by my advice: if you think of something, no matter how small, write it down.

Much of my writing is inspired by the people and experiences that have shaped my life, particularly the women who have influenced my journey. Themes of love, memory, and resilience run throughout my work.

In 2005, I reconnected with a longtime friend named Sally. After years of companionship, we married in 2010, despite some disapproval from our families. Together, we travelled widely until the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 brought us home. When Sally passed away in 2023, my daughter Jade encouraged me to finally share the hundreds of poems, songs, and writings I had created over the years.

Today, with more than 300 poems, advertisements, and song lyrics to my name—and a number published elsewhere—I continue to write every day. Though my hearing has begun to fade, my passion for words endures. Between visits from my children and grandchildren, I find joy in creating poetry, capturing fleeting moments, and ensuring they are never lost.