Nigel Hillpaul
We’ve all seen things people wouldn’t believe, but that’s whats makes a life interesting. I have been lucky enough to have gone up and down on the earth and to and fro upon it and seen my share of odd things. In my time I have become a Rural Antiquary, a Byzantinist, Z' Troop veteran & Varangjar for the σκρίνιον τῶν βαρβάρων who somehow survived over three decades in the glamorous world of International Aviation.
The proudest things I can say about my professional career were that I was a British Airways Dispatcher and a Curator at the company museum. By the way, did I ever mention I rowed a Trireme?
About Sketches of a Life
A Welshman in exile in England, observation has become an itch. I am a massive Byron Rogers enthusiast who described similar symptoms; he was also kind to me and encouraged me to write, but don’t blame him for my failings. Like him I was ‘startled into writing’ these by a line from the historian Nennius: ‘I have now made a heap of all I have found’, and as with them both you have to decide where the story ends and the tale starts.
I remember as a student being taught to observe, analyse and interpret, which has along with these sketches, drawn me into reviewing books and writing articles; years of writing reports left me with an urge to do something more creative.
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So why don't you and I sit on the yellow ox-skin rug of Rhonabwy while the old crone serves us bitter beer and I will begin .