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richard hill
about me
(All links open in a new window)I was born on 2nd November 1955 at St. Davids Hospital in Bangor, North Wales. When I was 10 days old, I was adopted by Fred and Dorothy Hill who became my loving Mum and Dad.
I grew up on small farms in Bontdolgadfan and Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales.
I went to school at Llanidloes High School. I left aged 15 without qualifications and went on to serve an apprenticeship as electrician for the Department of the Environment (DOE/PSA) at RAF Sealand near Chester. This included a small period seconded to RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) Aberporth. For a period, I lived at the YMCA in Chester.
While based at RAF Sealand, I joined a Folk group with three other lads. We played at pubs and folk clubs around the area and had a weekly residency in Barmouth. I was lead singer.
I completed my apprenticeship when I was 21 and went on to work at RNAD (Royal Naval Armament Depot) Trecwn near Fishguard in West Wales. A couple of years later I transferred to RAF Brawdy near Haverfordwest. Soon after, I was promoted to Electrical Line Supervisor responsible for a team of over 20 electricians, apprentice electricians and labourers. During this time, I helped form a hospital radio station at Withybush General Hospital in Haverfordwest. I went on to become Station Manager.
In March 1980, I moved to London to become a Medical Technician at South Western Hospital in Brixton (part of the St. Thomas Hospital group of hospitals). Here, I worked on a range of respiratory equipment including iron lungs for polio survivors.
In June 1983, I met Simon at The Two Brewers in Clapham High Street. We have been together ever since.
For a while, we lived in Strood near Rochester, Kent and later to Hemsby in Norfolk, but things did not work out so we returned to London and I was able to resume my job as a Medical Technician on the Lane-Fox Respiratory Unit at St. Thomas' Hospital.
In September 1990, I had the first in a series of four heart attacks. During my recovery we stayed in Langley, Slough, Berkshire, and we liked it so much we decided to settle here and have lived there ever since.
In 1993 I had my first quadruple heart bypass operation. As I still worked at St. Thomas Hospital, the operation was carried out there. But by 1995, I could no longer work so I was given early retirement on health grounds.
At the end of 1995, shortly before I retired, I won an award for an essay I had written about the history of the iron lung, which gave me the ambition to write for magazines. My first published article Chocolate on the Shroppie was published in Canal and Riverboat magazine. Between then and 2006, I have had around 60 feature articles published in around 20 leisure and lifestyle magazines. Click here.
Between then and now, my health has not been good and I could no longer get out and about to research and photograph material for non-fiction articles. There followed a period of depression which led me at one point to try and take my own life.
By 2022, the doctors had got my medication sorted out and I began to get motivated to write again, but to try to write short stories and poetry instead of factual articles. I was not very good at these and yearned to get back to writing non-fiction for magazines, which is where I am now. You can see examples of my recently published work by clicking here.
Places I have lived and worked: Bontdolgadfan, Llandinam, RAF Sealand, RAE Aberporth, RNAD Trecwn, RAF Brawdy, South Western Hospital (Brixton, London SW9), Brixton, Strood (Kent), Hemsby (Norfolk), Leytonstone (London) St. Thomas' Hospital (London SE1), Langley (Berkshire).
If you remember me from any of these places, I would be so grateful if you would contact me by e-mail: sloughwriter@gmail.com. It would be great to be in touch again.
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Last Updated 18/11/2024
Personal Statement.
"I aim to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for everyone. I want to challenge all forms of oppression including those based on race, ethnicity, nationality, creed, gender, sex, class, sexuality, gender reassignment, learning ability, physical impairment, mental illness, HIV status, age, occupation, income, wealth and unrelated criminal conviction. I aim to design my activities, services and decision-making processes specifically to encourage and support participation from people who face disadvantage in society, including women, BME people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and people on low incomes."