You had to ask! This is a short resume of the editor of Criminal History, Alan J. Bishop. What the “J” stands for is so mundane as not worth worrying about - it is useful in differentiation with the many other Alan Bishops on the internet - suffice to say, a major “Alan J. Bishop” is a published professor in applied mathematics; something that this Alan J. has no skill in. I was born at an early age. This is a corker of a joke and too good to miss. However, for the sake of accuracy (and any stalkers who’ve found me more interesting than many fictitious characters), I was born in February 1964. A good year but lousy for chart hits.
My parents, of fine East London stock, encouraged my toddler imagination - so much so that when I started teaching myself to read they were actually proud! My school teachers, in the early days, were more inconvenienced than pleased - such is the way in 1970’s London. This was also the time when you could get a “grant” to go to higher school - and my parents were smart enough to take advantage of this. Thus I progressed from 70’s tearaway in London to co-educational cosmopolitan in a vegetarian boarding school (of odd but valuable pedigree) and a few ‘O’ Levels.
My early jobs in the eighties (after a too-long period unemployed) included helping manage a second-hand shop in a North Kent holiday resort - I like odds-n-ends - to digging for an archaeological trust on their many sites. Who could tell what my interest in history helped? How could the amount of my damage to history by digging be assessed? Never-the-mind, my interest in such stuff also encouraged an interest in the background to historical events.
My deep involvement with role-playing games (such as the rudimentary Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) allowed a creative, imaginative streak emerge from me. I could write adventures for such and I could critically analyse other games. It didn’t take long before my involvement with games allowed me the chance to review RPGs. It didn’t matter that it was fantasy - as long as it was consistent.
After a spell as a technical illustrator, I entered the realm of West End retail. Thus, I had a ‘regular’ job to pay the bills and spare time to continue freelance writing of articles and reviews ... But most of all reading! Lots and lots of reading! The role-playing has taken a backseat in my attention to reading and writing. My entry into the world of the Internet was tardy but eagerly absorbed. I remain a keen user but not expert programmer. My reading matter, while remaining open, has concentrated into the crime fiction genre and, in the past two years, has condensed into a major interest in historical crime.
Other interests are board and card games, pubs (I’m a member of CAMRA), the paranormal and all things Fortean. I live in Nottingham and I’m engaged to a local lass who appreciates my book collection as her personal lending library. All monetary donations will be answered by polite written gratitude and job propositions always seriously considered!
