I was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1943 of Indian parents. Both my grandfathers were carpenters. In the early 1930s they were recruited by the British government and moved from India in connection with the building of the East African railways.
In 1939, as the Second World War started, my father joined the British Army and moved to Nairobi. My mother and father married in 1941.
I am the eldest of 8 children. I have three brothers and four sisters.
After the War was over, my father joined the Kenyan civil service.
We had a happy childhood. We lived in an Indian style apartment block with a courtyard in the middle where children could play freely with mothers being able to watch them. The mothers did all the chores with the help of African servants while the men went out to work. My recollection as I was growing up was that most of the women in the neighbourhood were having children!! And I am told that when I was asked why my mother’s tummy was getting bigger, I answered that she was wearing an extra vest as she was cold!
Life was simple.
Before I was 5, my father enrolled me into two schools – the one in the mornings was a Hindu school – and in the afternoon, a Punjabi school. My father was keen for me to learn about both Hindu and Sikh cultures. The two-school experience lasted a couple of years with two lots of lessons and two lots of homework which overlapped. Consequently, I learnt many things twice and eventually became bored and was jealous of my friends having more play time than me!
However, the “double education” gave me a good start and a thirst for knowledge which remained my ethos all my life. I found that although I was good in academic subjects, I struggled with sport. Although I attempted to play cricket, football and hockey, I soon realised that I would never be in the A teams!
In the 1950s there was a lot of political upheaval around us. The Mau Mau were seeking independence for Kenya from Britain and there was considerable violence, especially in the countryside. Due to the political uncertainty, in 1959, my parents decided that my mother would take most of the family to live in our home in India. My eldest brother and I stayed with my father while we completed our education.
I wanted to study medicine. I wished to come to England but with a large family, I was aware of my father’s inability to fund my education. The advice was: I could either go to India to study medicine for 7 years (where the cost would be less and spread over a longer period) or come to England for a 3-year course to study law. After much thought I decided on law, and the Education Department arranged for me to be admitted to the Middle Temple Inn in London. To save up for my trip, I worked for an insurance company for 18 months or so.
In October 1962, I travelled to Britain. When I told my grandchildren about my journey, they could not believe that it took me 4 days to reach this country!
We did not have jet travel in those days. BOAC had one flight from a military airport in Nairobi once a week which was very expensive. I chose the cheaper option. This meant a journey by coach from Nairobi through northern Kenya, then Uganda and to southern Sudan. In Juba, we boarded an old wartime transport plane with two propellers. It was noisy and never flew more than 10,000 feet above the ground. We had a great view of the Sahara Desert and when after dinner we took off on the next leg of the journey from Khartoum, the lights of the city were something I had never experienced before.
We had breakfast in Benghazi, Libya as the plane refuelled and then it took all day to reach Luxembourg. From Luxembourg we travelled overnight by coach to Ostend, then by ferry to Dover and train to London.
In due course, the British Council arranged accommodation – a tiny room in Archway with a small cooking ring and a shared bathroom. I had several “digs” before I eventually ended up living in Clapham with Mr & Mrs Grose. They were wonderful landlords and Mrs Grose treated me like the son she never had. They remained our friends all their lives.
During this time, I had my long hair cut and no longer wore a turban and a beard. In October 1964 I met Kerri in London when she was 19 and I was 21 – and the rest is history.
My time at The Middle Temple Inn was a terrific experience. Everything was new and a little daunting, but I enjoyed my studies. I passed all my exams and after completing my obligatory dinners in Middle Temple Hall, including one with the Queen Mother and the then Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Hume attending, I was called to the Bar in July 1965, with Kerri by my side.
I was offered a pupillage in a chancery set of chambers in Lincoln’s Inn but found I couldn’t afford to be without an income for a year. I thought of going to Canada but that would have meant being apart from Kerri. After much thought and deliberation, I decided to train as a solicitor even though it meant many more years of exams.
After a struggle to find a firm willing to offer me a contract, I was accepted as an articled clerk by Warden Swinfen in Crawley. My time with Warden was an intense learning experience in the practice of law. I quickly advanced to handling a wide range of legal work without supervision and I qualified as a solicitor in 1971.
I finally retired in 2008, having enjoyed my life as a solicitor with many wonderful memories. I will let others judge whether I was a good solicitor. All I can say is that I tried my best to be professional and compassionate in my dealings with my clients.

In November 1967, Kerri and I were married and soon afterwards we bought our first home. Neil was born in November 1970 followed by Tanya in May 1972.
Both have been sources of endless love and joy throughout my entire life. Neil graduated in law at Exeter University. He has had a successful career in the City as a property lawyer but is now planning on a less stressful future in lawn management.
At Exeter, Neil met Fiona when they were both law students and they married in 1997. Fiona decided that Law was not for her and qualified as a chartered accountant with her own accountancy practice.
Their children, Adam and Anna, have been an absolute joy for us.
With a degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Sussex, Tanya worked first in academic publishing, then multimedia learning and development. She now has her own massage business, which was always her dream.
Some years ago, Tanya decided to go backpacking round the world and we met up with her a few times, in Nepal, India and Thailand.
She met the love of her life, Fabien, in Goa, they married and moved to the French Alps. They’ve enjoyed a sporty life during which time Fabien has had a successful career in Tech.
Kerri and I have watched Adam and Anna’s development and very many achievements with a tremendous sense of pride.
There have been many good and long-lasting friendships during my life. Too many to mention individuals and to risk forgetting someone!
As the eldest of eight, I’ve enjoyed strong support, love and respect from my siblings and family. I love them dearly.
Neil, Fiona, Tanya, Fabien, Adam and Anna hold a special place in my heart for the care and love they have provided me, They are the sunshine in my life and the glittering stars in the night sky. I wish them to know that I have felt deep love and affection for them, more than they will ever know.
Most of all, a very special place in my heart goes to Kerri, who has been a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother and my one and only true love. I have loved her ever since we met. She has been my rock. I cannot thank her enough for her love and devotion to me through our struggles. I wish her strength, and to know that the younger ones will take care of her. She may find comfort from the love we have shared for over 60 years, and I promise to watch over her from wherever I am.