Bob is in a unique position on Hardhatter's Ask An Expert panel as being able to speak with decades of personal knowledge of the Revenue, as well as considerabe indepth experience. Bob joined the then Inland Revenue on leaving school in 1967 working at Manchester 14 District. He spent all his working life in the North West of England and took early retirement in August of this year having completed just over 39 years service.

Latterly Bob was based in Chester from where he managed one of the enquiry teams in the West Lancs West Cheshire Area and he has also represented HMRC at General Commissioner’s meetings on a full time basis. He was very much involved in the practical side of the new travel rules that were introduced as from 6 April 1998 and is now only too pleased to use that expertise for the benefit of Shout99 members. Some of you may have seen, in response to recent queries regarding travel expenses and Composite companies, that Bob expanded the already comprehensive information regarding the new travel rules that is contained within his website www.travel-expenses.info.

On a personal note Bob is married with a grown up son. His hobbies include playing the piano at home and the pipe organ at one of Chester’s city centre Churches. He is an active member of the Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust which was set up primarily to preserve the two large Wurlitzer theatre organs that were in the Odeon and Gaumont cinemas in Manchester. He is a member of the Llangollen steam railway and is actively involved in the restoration of the ex British Railways steam locomotive no 80072. He was born in Eccles and educated in Salford – he is a member of a rare breed – a Manchester United supporter who was actually born in Manchester!