 |  | Bob Monk was born in early 1934, the only son of a ship's marine engineer and a loving mother from County Durham. After a Grammar school education, which he says, taught him how to do crossword puzzles reasonably well, the rudiments of Latin, French and English Literature, elementary science, to play football, get a moderate amount of enjoyment out of reading anything which came to hand and very little else, he went to sea as a midshipman. He spent a great deal of time in the Far East, an area in the world where he learnt to love the lands and the people. After several years at sea, he claims that he spent the rest of his life, trying to decide what to do for a career and indeed had various occupations including builders' labourer, office worker, trouble-shooter in a factory, shop owner, selvedge diver, builder of lakes, dams, ponds and waterfalls, canoe and sailing instructor, bouncer, diving instructor and salesman. However, he was never really content unless he was in, or under the sea. |