I love making things, all sorts of things, and being creative. I starting off with Electronics, Science, programming and music (I play bass guitar and guitar). I later discovered clothes making, cooking and growing plants from seed, indoors and in the garden. Clothes making became serious and I eventually made examples of pretty much everything, including corsets. I tried doing it as a small business, but the competition was too great and my business sense too poor. But, with the help of an evening class at Cordwainers College (as it was then) in Bethnal Green, I progressed into shoe making. I gave up trying to sell clothes but, as a side-line to the day job, still have a small business selling custom designed, hand made to measure, alternative boots and shoes.
I’ve never been a fan of mainstream music or fashion. It took me a while to find the alternative but, when I did, I found it so much more exciting and I never looked back. I love ebm, industrial, darkwave, metal and some of the more contemporary goth bands. I prefer going out in London to places like Camden (V&A and British Museums are also favourites), and at night to Reptile, Slimelight, Inferno, other alternative nightclubs and the occasional gig. I was a regular at the Whitby Gothic Weekend, but for the last few years have switched to the far more inspiring Leipzig Wave Gotik Treffen. I make all the clothes and boots that I wear, for daytime and work, and for going out at night.
Some of the boots that I designed and made are in the pictures below. More are on my website www.spidosaur.com .
