Born in Horrabridge, Colin is a local Devon lad who was educated at Tavistock Comprehensive School. He then moved to Exeter to continue his education at Broadclyst Secondary Modern. Colin joined the Royal Marines Band Service at the age of fifteen where he was required to complete two more terms in education as well as starting his military musical career. On completion of training Colin was drafted to Portsmouth, joining the band of The Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command. Twenty five members of this Band boarded The Royal Yacht every year to carry out Royal duties all over the world. He was fortunate enough to serve aboard the Royal Yacht for ten years before being drafted to the RM Band at BRNC. This was a temporary draft for Colin before moving to HMS Raleigh and subsequently the Commando Forces Band at RM Stonehouse, Plymouth.

 

In 1982 the Commando Forces Band band fulfilled their role as medics and sailed south to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic aboard the SS Canberra (the great white whale!) to provide medical evacuation support for the war caused by the Argentine invasion of the islands. On the return from the Falklands War, Colin's career moved up both musically and managerially and he was promoted to SNCO. This saw him drafted to the HM Naval Base in Naples, Italy and the Gulf, joining HMS Ark Royal as a Volunteer Band Instructor. He thoroughly enjoyed his time aboard the aircraft carrier and decided that teaching could be his future career, now coming to the end of a long and distinguished career in the Royal Marines Band Service. 

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Colin was drafted back to HMS Raleigh to finish his career and to start another twenty years of music. After leaving the RM Band Service he joined the Devon & Dorset Regimental Territorial Army Band in Exeter which later became The Salamanca Band & Bugles 6 Rifles. At this time he set up a business as an instrument technician and peripatetic music teacher, visiting Plymouth College, Kelly College and having several other pupils around the Devon area.

 

Colin is now settled in Okehampton living with his wife Janice who also plays the Clarinet, Tenor & Baritone Saxophone in the The Concert Band of Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. In the Spring of 2022 Colin was invited to take up the baton for The Band and was delighted to accept this offer and he is now the Band's Musical Director.