Andrew Graham Stables

After leaving education and entering the world of work, I fell into building services and worked my way up before becoming a planner. I am currently a project planning engineer responsible for approximately £20million of work.

In the past, I have been involved in the construction of many projects in the UK including: GlaxoSmithKline, Barnard Castle; The Handball Arena, London 2012; Salford Reds, Rugby Stadium; Bridgewater Place, Leeds; Crowne Plaza Hotel, Newcastle; Framlington College, Durham; Schools in Durham, Bradford, Northumberland, Newcastle and Sunderland.

I was also part of a team who organised a music and arts festival in York and promoted local music, poets and comedy from 2001 to 2004.

I am now a published local history author. My first book was Secret Penrith in 2016 and I am about to publish Secret Kendal.

What university did you attend?

Leeds Metropolitan University

What qualifications did you receive?

Advanced Professional Diploma in Project Management

What are your future plans and ambitions?

I am writing a novel based on my father’s life, but greatly embellished and I would like this to be successful. I would also like to keep writing local history.

What has been the highlight of your life so far after leaving school?

Apart from marriage and children - my first published book.

What is your favourite Teesdale memory?

Making so many good friends, many of whom I still see regularly.

Advice to my younger self...

Learn how to communicate clearly and work hard to improve your grades, but above all, listen to advice from older people, they have a lot to offer.

You can invite one person to a dinner party - who do you invite and why?

I would invite Jean-Jacques Burnel the bass player with The Stranglers. Their music influenced me so much and opened my eyes to other subjects, plus he is interesting, intelligent and one of my heroes. Most people who read this will not have heard of him and that I like.