John was born in New Tupton, a village in Derbyshire, he was the son of Fredrick and Phyllis, both practising Christians of the Pentecostal faith throughout their life, John puts the title of war baby to his name, being born on the 21/07/1945, the end of world war two, he wasn't on his own and had plenty of friends in his childhood days, John's father was a coal miner, and he expected John to join him down the mine after schooling finished, however, john secured an apprenticeship with a local building firm, and became a carpenter, he was successful and went on to set up his own firm, he had a strong passion for motor cycles and was well known in the area for being a fast driver, to the disappointment of his mother, in the early 70's John was introduced to darts, like many things in his life, he believed it was fate, he began playing in local leagues, went on to become National Champion, and the rest is history, his darting career spanned over 50 years and it has taken him round the globe many times, in 2019 John received the MBE for services to darts, presented by Prince William at Buckingham Palace, he proudly talks of this being one of the finest moments of his life, John is the author of "The Nine Dart Legend" making it the fifth book he has written, it is a book that takes you through the 76 years of the coal miners son from New Tupton to driving through the gates of Buckingham Palace, it's a journey of remarkable interest, excitement, and the arduous task of living with Covid, John's journey has been extraordinary in many ways, he has won hundreds of titles worldwide, learnt the culture of many countries, adjusted his life to unexpected changes, when asked what he regards one of the most important lessons he has learnt from his life journey, he will instantly say, compassion, a word his mother told him when he was a youngster in New Tupton, to never forget. Enjoy your read.
