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Born in Hornchurch, Essex to Alice and William Grove 30 April 1942 -
sister Pamela. Daughters Samantha and Corrie from first marriage.
Married to Colleen for over 20 years with daughters Stephanie and Maddie.
Education : Originally educated at Ilford County High School
to go on to Exeter University then London School of Economics reading
BSc (Econ). Represented Essex, Southern Counties and England in
swimming and Essex in water polo. Also played club tennis.
Career : Worked for Union Castle Shipping Company as a statistician/market
researcher travelling to Greece, Turkey and Canraies then went into
the travel industry planning specialist tours such as West Ham FC in
Europe and England Football Supporters Club to Mexico World
Cup.Worked with British Airways and several other airlines and
travelled worldwide particularly to Florida, Japan, Zambia, Nigeria,
Kenya and Malawi.
Ran his own travel company for a while creating The World Sports
Supporters Club with special focus on Sierra Leone, Zambia and
Malawi, then started Asset Promotions Ltd from Wigmore Street in
London and continued with specialist travel whilst making TV style
travel documentaries on Zambia, Malawi, Australia, Kenya, Florida and
Windsurfing in the Caribbean.
Invited into journalism through sport experience. Worked for Daily
Express & Daily Mail in sport and an early member of the Sports
Writers Association (now Sports Journalists Association) serving on
the committee for 3 years. Edited Florida World News and All Sports
International newspaper for 10 years and still edits the online
version today. Wrote 'The Ergonomics of Sport & Leisure
Facilities, World of Sport Almanac and Sports Form Guide'
plus a sci-fi novel "The Levellers" published by
Robert Hale and a series of children's books entitled "The
Bornington Chronicles".
Served under Sir Rocco Forte and Lord Westmoreland on the fundraising
committee for the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
Edited 'Guide to UK Hotels with Leisure Facilities' for
Harmsworth, part of the Daily Mail Group. Through deep practical
knowledge of restaurants was then asked to edit The National
Restaurant Directory for sponsors Carlsberg then The Real
Curry Restaurant Guide in 1990 (and every year since then),
The Oriental Restaurant Directory, The Italian Restaurant Directory
and The Mood Food Restaurant Directory. Has edited Spice n Easy,
and Masala magazines and Menu Magazine for over 10
years (now Mood Food Magazine). Writes on a freelance basis for
newspapers and appears on radio and TV as required as an expert in
ethnic food and drink.
Started the Best in Britain Awards (BIBA) for the Asian
restaurant sector in 1992 and then National Curry Week raising
funds for charity which started as National Curry Day in 1997 and Curry
Capital of Britain in 1999. Worked with Chartered Institute for
Environmental Health for 3 years running their National Curry Chef competition.
Recently co-wrote best seller 'Curry Culture - a very British love affair'
and 'Curry, Spice & All THings Nice'. Runs several major
websites on ethnic food and drink and sport with over 1 million
visitors a month. Currently compiling Restaurant Hall of Fame
to celebrate the history of ethnic food in Britain and is President
of The Federation of Specialist Restaurants.
Best Sporting moment : Seeing Mill Reef win the Derby and
walking down the 18th as a journalist with the leaders in the World
Matchplay at Wentworth
Best Experience : Birth of Children (all four of them).
Best Dining moment : Anniversary meal prepared by Executive
Chef Udit Sarkhel at London's Bombay Brasserie
Hobbies : Not time for much but still enjoys swimming,
travelling, reading and, of course, eating out, visiting hundreds of
restaurants every year. Sports include swimming, tennis, table
tennis, football (Arsenal fan since 12 years old). Has served on
Tolworth Girls School PTA for 7 years, the last four of which have
been as Treasurer.
Ambitions : More of the same. "I have escaped a rebel
camp in Rhodesia ; gambled with Bedouins in the Sahara ; been shot at
on the Knife Edge Bridge at Victoria Falls ; been threatened by
sharks at the Great Barrier Reef ; flown in a light plane with a mad
ex Raf pilot under Victoria Falls ; been attacked by elephants in
Lluangwa Park, Zambia ; been lost alone in the bush at night in
Zambia ; been bitten by a snake in Malawi; been mistaken for Prince
Charles in Tokyo and Bobby Moore in Mexico!!! ; swum with Flipper in
Florida ; windsurfed in shark-infested waters in Florida ; met mob
gansters in Miami ; hidden from police in Mexico and Dom Mintoff's
security people in Malta and been to major sporting events all over
the world - I wonder what's next?" |