Ah, “The Bio” – two words that strike fear into me, the very insinuation of “come on then sell yourself” just sends me into a panic. The very idea that I have to promote my good points to a stranger when some days I don’t even know what they are myself and other days I can reel them off is quite daunting to me. Remarkably though I don’t have any problem doing a CV, I find the process fairly easy, I can list my achievements and rattle off why I feel I’m qualified for a certain job role but this is different to me and I often shy away from doing it.

In 2002, after 11 years in Devon growing up, I decide to take the plunge and move to Manchester at the tender young age of 21. I came here in search of fun and adventure and ended up with a life reality check and hangovers that would have made Oliver Reed stop drinking. After several years of paying my own bills, struggling financially at several points, battling depression and realising that life doesn’t owe me anything I began to appreciate what I did have rather than what I did not. This has resulted in me reassessing my life and focusing on other things.

I’m a single, gay man and I am comfortable with both, I don’t expect an easy life and I most certainly don’t expect allowances to be made for the latter. Whether I’m a typical gay or not I don’t know, sometimes I can mince with the best of them, other times I despair at some of things I see from so-called “gay activists”. I suppose, in many ways I don’t fit in with the usual view of a gay man, I’m right-wing for a start, which has attracted the odd “traitor” and “why on Earth do you vote Tory?” comments and questions. I’ve also never seen ‘Mean Girls’ either.

These days I’m fairly relaxed about things compared to ten years ago, I have a good job which I’ve put a lot of work into the past three years, I’ve got a fantastic family and circle of friends and my life is finally turning that corner I’ve always heard about.