Born in 1966 in Bromley, Kent, where I was brought up, I went to Eltham College (S. London) and then studied French Studies at Reading University. I chose the contemporary France options and began to take a keen interest in French politics. My third year abroad (as a teaching assistant) was spent in Thann, Alsace. For my dissertation I chose the subject of French television 1981-1986. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 I became a "lecteur" at the University of Lyon 2, which has an exchange programme with Reading. After 2 years I left teaching and joined a business information and debt collection firm in Lyon as a translator of reports on French companies for foreign clients. Then in 1992 I moved to a translation agency working largely with immigrants, the local courts and lawyers and thus acquired further knowledge of legal translation. I subsequently started a course in comparative law and in 1996 I obtained the "Diplôme de l'Institut de Droit Comparé" at the University of Lyon 3, for which I did particular research into the status of the European Convention of Human Rights under UK law. Since then I have obtained a D.E.A. postgraduate degree (first part of a doctorate) in European Union law and may one day complete a PhD. I was appointed as a sworn translator by the Court of Appeal in Lyon at the end of 1998. My translation page gives more information on my specialities. I have translated for the local courts of Lyon in a variety of investigations and trials: murder, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, a cult, money laundering, extradition, fraud, an illegal timeshare business, visa card forgery, illegal employment, football hooligans - you name it! I have also worked for well-known local companies such as Lafarge, Gec Alsthom, Rhone-Merieux, Rhône-Poulenc, the EDF and Euronews.
Lyon (sometimes spelt Lyons in English) is the second largest city in France, in terms of metropolitan area. It is situated on two rivers, the Saone and the Rhone, with the part of the city called the "Presqu'ile" between the two. The "Vieux Lyon" with its renaissance houses is situated to the west of the Saone and to the north can be found the hill called the Croix Rousse. I live between the quarter called "La Guillotière" and the "Part-Dieu", in the 3rd district.
Lyon has three universities, and I have taught at Lyon 2 and Lyon 3, Lumière and Jean Moulin universities. They are both located on the "left bank" of the Rhone.
I have travelled to a wide variety of places - apart from Europe, I've been to the USA and Canada (several times) and Lebanon (in 1990, at the beginning of the Gulf crisis). As you may have noticed, my hobbies include genealogy. My main interest lies in Devonshire where the Brannans appeared about 1700 (see family history page). I joined the Devon Family History Society at the age of 15 and I have since written articles for the Devon Family Historian and North Devon Heritage - published by the North Devon Maritime Museum of which I am also a member. I also have ancestors from Jersey, so I am (needless to say) a member of the Channel Islands FHS... - and I now have "ancestors-in-law" from Corsica! On 20 July 1996 I married Christelle Berlandi, whose parents are both Corsican - our first daughter Emilie Rose Anne was born on 27 November 1998 and second daughter Estelle Marie Lucy was born on 14 May 2001 (her picture can be seen at the top of the home page index).
DEVON (North): Bideford, Barnstaple, Hartland... DEVON (South): Exeter, Brixham... LONDON (North): Shoreditch, Hoxton... LONDON (South): Camberwell, Newington, Dulwich NW KENT: Bromley, Lewisham, Sydenham, Woolwich KENT: Isle of Sheppey (Warden Point) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: Beaconsfield, Chalfonts, Olney BEDFORDSHIRE: Ampthill, Maulden JERSEY: St Lawrence, St Peter, St Mary