The son of a baker, I've been making my own bread since 1974, when all the plant bakeries in England went on strike. I found I enjoyed it and I've been making it ever since.

I took early retirement in 1993 and did a City and Guilds course on teaching adults - I've been teaching breadmaking ever since, in and around Taunton, Somerset.

I have two main groups that I teach, Family Learning, where students (some as young as 4 and 5) and parents learn together - generally 5 week courses, and also Adults with Learning Disabilities. But I've taught all sorts of groups and ages - from 3-year-olds in pre-schools, to 80-odd year-olds in Community Centres.

I'm pretty well obsessed with bread - I make it most days - but I'd never call myself an artisan baker - more your jobbing baker, prepared to have a go at anything.

My main interest is in spreading the word - I'd like everyone to make their own bread, I want to get across the simplicity of the process - the healthiness of it, the economy of it, and, above all the absolute satisfaction and fun that can be gained by making it yourself.

This is a lovely site and I much appreciate the work that goes into keeping it going. My only gripe is - I just don't have time to read the wonderful threads that appear in my inbox every day!

Last year I started a blog on the subject (bread, that is, not time or the lack of it!), and I try and add to it most days:

http://nobreadisanisland.blogspot.com/ [1]

Best wishes - and happy breadmaking!

Paul