Bernard RourkeBernard Rourke, the seventh of eight children, was born in Liverpool on the 4th of July, 1934. He obtained a BA degree and teaching diploma at Sheffield University. Having being called up for compulsory National Service, he remained in the Army for 2 years. He studied Mandarin Chinese at London and Hong Kong universities to qualify as an interpreter. He then served both as Chief Instructor and later as Commandant of the Ministry of Defence Chinese Language School in Hong Kong, which trained UK and Commonwealth diplomats, and intelligence personnel to qualify as interpreters in Mandarin and Cantonese. He retired a Lieutenant Colonel. Married in 1958, he and his wife have lived on the Costa Blanca, Spain since 1995. Read More Read Less