Keith for those staff who have not yet had the opportunity to meet you in person can you meet the challenge of giving us a brief life history in no more that 200 words?

I was born on Walney Island which lies alongside the large shipbuilding town of Barrow-in-Furness (now part of Cumbria) on the North West coast.

When I was seven years old my father (who was a patternmaker) decided to move the family from the town and its' struggling shipyards to the promised land of Coventry where work was plentiful and the future looked brighter. T

hat was over 50 years ago and since that time Coventry has provided me with an education at Whitmore Park Junior School and then at Bablake School and my employment - first at Martins Bank and then subsequently at the Coventry Building Society until my retirement a few years ago.

Coventry is still my home and it is here that I met and married my wife and we brought up our family. We have many friends in the area and we are proud to live in this ancient city.

Coventry has given me many things and hopefully now through the work I’m doing at CHAT (Coventry Heritage and Arts Trust) and elsewhere in the City, I’m attempting to partially repay the debt.

I believe you have an interest in Amateur Dramatics is this right?

Who told you that? OK I admit it but actually I’m interested in many things but particularly the arts which is one of the reasons I decided to become involved with CHAT.

I have been involved with Amateur Theatre in Coventry and Warwickshire for many years – initially as an actor and singer and latterly as a director.  I am currently Artistic Director at the Criterion Theatre in Coventry (twice Godiva Award winners) with a responsibility for selecting the productions and ensuring the subsequent staging.

We present a minimum of seven productions a year in our own theatre in Earlsdon and now I’ve told you about it I expect you to pay a visit yourselves. You can view the current programme at our website www.criteriontheatre.co.uk .

Throughout your life what do you feel is your greatest achievement?

This may not be a very original answer but I honestly feel that my (actually I share this with my wife Jane) greatest achievement is to have three great sons of whom I am very proud.

Tom is 27 and works in Leeds, Matthew is 25 and works in London and Ben is 20 and is just starting his second year at Sheffield University. We’re all celebrating Ben’s 21^st (which is on Christmas Day this year) by flying out to Iceland together (his choice!) for a short holiday. 

If you could remove any one thing from existence it would be?

I hate negativity in people. I’ve seen it stifle so much creativity and destroy so many potentially sound relationships both at work and in my social life.

People need to be encouraged and supported as they grow their skills and ideas not told just what’s wrong with them! I would be the first to admit that I don’t always get it right myself on this front – but am usually aware that I’ve got it wrong shortly afterwards!

What was the last album you listened too?

King Hokum by C.W. Stoneking – I bet that surprised you didn’t it? But I have to admit that I also listened to Handel’s Harp Concerto and Rossini’s Barber of Seville on the same evening.

And finally… What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

Watching an old episode of Father Ted whilst trying to write my notes the night before the last Board Meeting.