Philip Anderson

Pax Vobiscum

Welcome to the Website of author, Businessman, father, free-lance journalist and ex-teacher. Here you’ll find pages devoted to my writing, published fiction and work in progress, as well as hints and tips on this creative passion of mine.

Download and listen to Challenging a short story which I wrote and published in December 2009.

Listen to me Monday afternoons between 1pm-3pm on 6Towns Radio The Community Voice – delivering local news for local people! Keep abreast with what’s happening in your area with a chance for you to have your say on issues that really matter…

However, while you are here, why not share in a little lively debate courtesy of my blog topics and suggest new ideas.

* Under ‘Education’, you’ll find the topic: ‘Do Boarding Schools Prepare Or Scar Children For Life?’

* ‘Ability Forum’ asks many soul-searching questions including:
(1. How are blind people portrayed by the media?
(2. Does fashion really matter to the blind?
(3. What about blindness and the issue of relationships?

More About Me

I believe in God, good manners, decency, tradition and mourn the absence of chivalry.

Music is another passion of mine. Escamillo’s rousing Song of the Toreador, Carmen’s bewitching Seguidilla and tantalizing Habanera and Don José’s heartfelt Flower Song speak volumes for the magical feelings these evoke.
Among the pop artists: Abba, Brian Adams, Elton John, Journey and enigma, all hold special memories.
James Herbert and Susan Hill figure enormously in my vast and varied library. In my opinion, their books are both entertaining and intelligently written.

In 1972 – exactly 3 years following my birth – I was diagnosed with Bilateral Optic Nerve Hypoplasia in which there is undevelopment of the optic nerve.

I am proud to say I attended school with Ryan Kelly who plays Jazzer in the BBC radio 4 series, The Archers

Insight Radio Europe’s first radio station for the blind and partially sighted.

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Creative Tailoring – creating the right image for you and your school/youth organisation!

Supplier of tailored shorts and trousers.

Download our catalogue here
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Biography of Author Philip Francis Anderson

I was born in Staffordshire in December 1969 and educated at a boarding school in Worcestershire. After that, I attended a 6-form college in Birmingham where I also worked as a senior operator at Nat west Bank PLC before returning to the Potteries.

In 1989, I embarked on a crash course in business studies through Business Link and was surprised when I achieved the highest results out of 500 fellow entrepreneurs in the county. For the next three years I taught specialist skills – including Braille – as well as completing a Social Sciences degree with the Open University.

Following that, I formed a stationery company, supplying everything from paper clips to computers to businesses.

After falling ill with depression, I left full time employment and turned my attention to my second love, the written word. I wrote and published several children’s stories, poetry and articles on disability, which were featured in various magazines and on BBC Radio 4.

Then I married when my wife and I both delighted in bringing a beautiful baby boy, Alistaire James, into the world, in 1998. It was then that I decided to establish Braille Transcription UK Ltd as a more secure means of providing for my family. The company grew and flourished, going from strength to strength; providing employment to local and national people, support services, training and comprehensive audio, Braille and large print transcripts for corporate and public sector clients, including telecommunication, education, medical and Government.

Ten years on, the company sadly closed in response to the then current worldwide economic climate in 2008.

Prior to the onslaught of the recession, I teamed up with Keele graduate and IT specialist, Jonathan Hulme, to form a new disabled-friendly internet search engine, Access-Global.com. A major project requiring innumerable research and careful planning. Access Global was winner of the 2007 ‘Lets Do Enterprise Award’ organised by Staffordshire Business Brokers.

In 1994 I established ‘Stoke on Trent Writers’ a weekly forum supporting local budding authors. Lexikon Magazine grew out of this group as did the ‘Staffordshire Readers And Writers Festival’: an annual event profiling creative community talent. Among its distinguished guests were the poets Wendy Cope and Simon Armitage. Membership was high and both the group and festival ran for 6 years.

I see blindness as a challenge and not a disability – although one is mindful of ones limitations. Having grown up with the condition, I have learned strategies for dealing with most of what life throws at me including shopping, preparing and cooking food, caring for my son, running a business and travelling safely from A to B.

The advent of the computer age and its associated integrated synthetic speech software, has enhanced my life, enormously. I am now able to access a wealth of information online, read digitally produced books, send and receive emails, as well as compiling and editing my own manuscripts, read personal correspondence, etc.. Further advancements in technology now enable blind persons how to identify colours, whether the light is on or off, weigh and measure accurately, travel independently; right down to watching their favourite films courtesy of ‘Audio Description.’

I’m constantly updating these pages, so please bookmark my site or read about changes and new additions in my e-newsletter.

Note: most of the images are subject to copyright and may not be freely downloaded without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Thanks for dropping by, Enjoy your visit!

Mens regnum bona possidet (An honest heart is a kingdom in itself)

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