John has represented the Outboard Boating Club of Northland on the NZ Trailer Boat Federation since 2005. 

He grew up in Silverstone, England where many of his early years were spent exploring the countryside, fishing various streams and rivers in Northamptonshire. 

He is an extremely keen salt and fresh water fisherman and NZ has certainly enabled him to pursue these interests.  His first experience of trailer boating was gained on the West Coast of the South Island when he purchased his first boat in 1969.  There are few waters both inland and coastal on the West Coast that haven’t been traversed and/or fished by him.  Since 1972 he has lived in the North Island, Hamilton until 1985 and since then Whangarei.

Even at a young age he was interested in preserving nature rather than destroying it, developing an ethos of ‘you only take what you can eat’.  It is therefore quite fitting that he represented the OBC Northland at the M.Fish Northern region non Commercial Fishing Forums for a number of years until M.Fish reorganised.  John is also a member of the Whangarei Harbour Marine reserve advisory committee, administered by the Department of Conservation. He is currently the Captain of the OBC Northland. 

John is married to Helen, has two adult sons and three grandchildren.  After a working career as an engineer with electricity supply authorities, he is now enjoying retirement  breeding Dexter cattle on their lifestyle block just outside Whangarei.