John left school at 16 and decided to follow a career in the Merchant Navy. Following a spell of further education he worked between 1956 and 1963 as a Radio Officer on a dozen or so ships. This allowed John to see even more of the world. He visited included Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the US, Argentina, the Gambia and Nigeria, amonst others. His trusty bike accompanied him for many of his journeys, and there are tales of his taking to the roads on his bike in a suit - the archetypal Englishman gentleman abroad. He also developed an interest in photography and has boxes and boxes of slides to show from his time at sea, together with numerous letters written to his family back home.