Peter Kirby was born in 1932 and educated at Bournemouth Grammar School 1943-1948.  He holds the Higher National Certificate in Business Studies (1969) and is a Graduate Member of the Institute of Purchasing and Supply (1972). From 1948 to 1986 he was employed by LCC/GLC and for the last 21 years served in the Supplies Department from 1974 to 1980 he was departmental Chief Financial Officer (£200 million turnover) and from 1981 to 1986 was divisional head of the Central Reprographics Service.  He is the author of "Cost Effective Print Buying" (Gower).  On choosing redundancy in 1986 he resolved that in the future he would only do things which were interesting or gave him pleasure.  From 1998 to 2011 he provided personal tours of Britain and the near continent to English speaking tourists. In 2007 he developed an interest in global warming and climate change and his library contains 24 books on the subject.  In 1943 he developed an interest in sailing and has owned 8 different boats, three of which he built.  At the age of 85 he decided to slow down and now 87 he concentrates on climate change.