My final posting was LATCC, North Bank Wings. It was a rather deflating task to follow such a comprehensive course and my high hopes for a stimulating role.  After 12 months on the Wings, I applied for a transfer to ‘an airport in Southern England’. The HQ response was that I could expect to remain at LATCC for a minimum of 10 years. That letter changed the course of my career and my life. I resolved to escape somehow. I didn’t know it at the time of course, but I was to spend most of the next 40 years working internationally. Including near 14 years living overseas, in Geneva, Washington DC and Amsterdam. All thoroughly enriching experiences. As a result, I have visited more than 75 countries, 25+ ACCs and many towers, from Anchorage to Auckland and Russia to Rio. 
I moved to Jersey in early 1978, as did Keith Cockayne and Dave Woodnutt (29 course).  Three years on, both Dave and I had moved on, Dave to a flying career and me to IAL. I did ask NATS if I could come back, they offered me EGLL as an ATCO IV and bottom of the pay scale. Another pivotal letter, so IAL it was.
IAL was great fun, 5 years at Hurn, then as ATC Specialist advising developing countries. My first business trip was in early 86 to Grenada, I left a snowy Heathrow for a week in the Caribbean sunshine. Not bad I thought!  I was with IAL for over 7 years. The experience opened my eyes to the complexity and extremes of the air transport world. 
Then came the hardest career decision of my life. Should I retire my ATCO license?  After some serious soul searching, I chose to pursue a career in business. I joined SITA, a Paris, soon to be Geneva based, airline owned telecommunications company. They were deploying a global air/ground datalink service, for cockpit and cabin communications, ATC applications included. Hence my role. The first task was datalink Oceanic Clearance delivery on the Atlantic, then ADS and CPDLC for the Pacific (north and south), China, Russia and lastly the Atlantic. Then tower applications in Europe, north America and Asia.  I was at the heart of that work for 10 years.
In 1997 I was asked to join ARINC, a US counterpart of SITA, I moved from Geneva to Washington DC where I was based for 3 years. Coincidentally, Steve James (26 course) was seconded at the same time from NATS to the Air Attache role at the British Embassy in Washington, our US tenures almost entirely overlapped. 
I led the Aviation Services division at ARINC, which at the time was an airline and defence company. I had several hundred staff, full P&L and budget responsibility. A steep learning curve. I was transferred to London in 2000 to lead their International Division, responsible in addition to datalink, for passenger and baggage systems across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A million miles away from my ATCO life, and the most rewarding and challenging role of my entire career. Lots of airport and airline work, I also set up and led the ARINC JV with Telenor Norway - Aeromobile, enabling use of cell phones and wifi on board aircraft for passengers and crew. Lots of visits to Toulouse and Seattle to get that done and certified (another whole new world).    
After near 10 years at ARINC I was asked to move back to the US.  The prospects post 9/11 and in an increasingly Defence focussed business, meant too much risk for a Brit like me, so I declined and left the company.  
Next was part time for 3 years, on the Board at MicroNav, the ATC Simulation company set up by Mike Male (30 course) and Fred Johnson. 
I joined CANSO, the global ANSP Trade body in 2009, spending 3 years  based in Amsterdam leading the organisation. CANSO is the ATC counterpart of IATA for airlines and ACI for airports. These bodies work at the heart of aero-politics, operating everyday with ICAO, the EC, Governments, Eurocontrol, ANSPs and Unions. Let’s just say that the glacial pace of progress by ANSPs and a broader systemic resistance to change does not create an easy work environment.    
Since late 2012, I have worked part time as an independent consultant, mainly for large airports, the occasional airline and ANSP. I have been an adviser to Gatwick Airport since 2015 and now in my 4th year advising the new airport hub for Warsaw – Port Poland.
On the personal side, I married in the first year of 28 course, Enid and I have three children, two boys and a girl. They have all lived overseas, and currently two of the three still do. They have produced 7 grandchildren. We still spend a lot of time overseas, especially Australia, where our longest trip of many was as a six-month tour.  Wonderful.
My work led to a number of very unusual experiences,  both aviation related  and otherwise -so I’m not short of anecdotes should the need arise!