A History of the Royal Hospital Chelsea 1682–2017

Stephen is a retired police officer having served with Essex Police as a constable for thirty years between 1983 and 2013. He is married to Tanya and has two sons, Luke and Ross, and a daughter, Aimee. His sons served five tours of Afghanistan between 2008 and 2013 and both were injured. This led to the publication of his first book, Two Sons in a Warzone – Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father’s Conflict, published in October 2010. Both Stephen’s grandfathers served in and survived the First World War, one with the Royal Irish Rifles, the other in the Mercantile Marine, whilst his father was a member of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during the Second World War.

When not writing Stephen can be found walking his three German Shepherd dogs with his wife Tanya, at some unearthly time of the morning, when most normal people are still fast asleep.

Tanya co-wrote a book with her husband, Stephen, entitled ‘Women in the Great War,’ an experience she enjoyed very much indeed, so much so that she wanted to try writing a book on her own. Her opportunity arose when she wrote ‘Kent at War 1939-45’. But she didn’t stop there, and soon after completing the book on Kent, she went back to co-writing with her husband, on a book about the 325 year history of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

The time she spends writing is her solace from looking after her and Stephen’s four German Shepherd dogs, who she says are all very demanding of her time.