How did you become involved in nursing?
When I left St Ninian's High School I planned to go to a seminary and become a priest. I took a summer job at Lennox Castle to get some money before leaving for the seminary.
I was joining a missionary order and I would have had to travel to Africa to teach people about God. But I then thought if I was hungry or ill I wouldn't be interested in hearing about God so I decided to do something more practical.
I left the seminary after about six months and worked in a travel agent for a while before returning to Lennox Castle.

How did you become a qualified nurse?
I started as a nursing assistant and attended the nursing school at Lennox Castle.
I qualified and went to work at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
I then took an intensive care course and by the age of 25 I was a charge nurse within the respiratory department.
After that, I went to work in Fort Worth, Texas, as an assistant head nurse for around 18 months. Although I was becoming settled, I decided to come home. A week after returning I met Marie, decided to stay in Scotland, and went to work in the Cardiology Unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

How did you get involved in education?
In 1979 I went to the Northern College of Nursing in Glasgow. I was sent back to Lennox Castle and qualified as a clinical teacher and then as a tutor.
In 1986 I was approached by the service director of Forth Valley College of Nursing asking if I would be interested in a post specially created for me. I turned it down, but accepted when offered it again and I became a senior tutor.
By 1996 I was deputy principal
of the college, and the Scottish Office put the contracts for nursing education out to tender. The University of Stirling took over Forth Valley and
combined it with other colleges

in central Scotland. I became head of nursing in 1998.

What was it like working in such a female-dominated profession?
When I first arrived at the Royal Infirmary 59 of the 60 students were female.
The disadvantages were if they were looking for somebody to demonstrate something nasty it would usually be me, and I would be sent for to do any particularly heavy work.
The advantages were that if there was anything really interesting going on in hospital I was generally involved.
I was also the first male nurse to work in Rottenrow Maternity Hospital.

Did you enjoy working at Lennox Castle?
It was deprived of resources and was really fairly basic. There would be 60 patients in the ward with a massive day room, two 30 bed dorms and only three staff to take care of them. The staff came in for some criticism but I knew a lot of very caring people there.

What was the best part of your job?
I'm proud we produced so many highly skilled competent, caring nurses. It is also fantastic to be sent letters from nurses we trained telling us what they are doing now. It's also great to receive letters from patients who have found out who is responsible for training the nurses who have taken care of them.

Getting to know you
First car: A Renault 10
First record: Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
Favourite TV programme: Deadliest Catch
Book currently reading: Patrick O'Brian - The Hundred Days
Famous person most like to meet: Nelson Mandela
Favourite holiday destination: Majorca.