Terence Keeler

Ageing wannabe writer and screenwriter. Find writing tremendous therapy especially as I am disabled and retired (not in a bath chair yet, though).

I have written three screenplays (Death of the Alabama, The Case of the Movie Mogul and the Mistress, Operation Venus), one novel (Jesus in Egypt), one collection of short stories (Tales of Africa) and numerous short stories. New project, a novel about a fox.

Otherwise I am "retired" through ill-heath and spend my time enjoying life on the beautiful Isle of Wight.

My wife Jeannette and I were married in 1981 at St Bride's in Fleet Street. I was permitted this honour because at the time I was a sub-editor on The Daily Telegraph.

I spent many years in Journalism, having been Editor of Grocott's Mail in Grahamstown, Industrial Reporter on the Natal Mercury (Durban) and a Production Assistant on the Financial Mail in Johannesburg. I joined the Telegraph in London in 1974, and worked first as a City sub-editor, then a news sub-edtor specialising in foreign news, and then a sub-editor on Special Surveys.

In 1988 I left journalism and enrolled at Keele University in Staffordshire. I graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) in Law and Computer Science, and then obtained a Masters in Law (LL.M). I had intended to start a new career as a Barrister and became a student member of Lincoln's Inn. However, I was rejected for a place at Bar School and went into lecturing Law at Staffordshire University and later University of Derby.

In 1985, I relocated the family to Woking in Surrey where Jeannette and I joined an old friend, Ian Kilpatrick, to work for his successful software reseller company, Wick Hill. Jeannette lasted under a year and I was made redundant in May 1998.

In January 1998, I had a quadruple bypass. After redundancy I worked for a short time on The Independent as a casual sub-editor, until I was fired, and then went back to lecturing at a Surrey college called NESCOT. I taught Law, Management, Business IT and Computing. I was a course leader.

In 2000 Ihad a breakdown and have not worked since. In addition my health deteriorated and I developed a lung problem called bronchiecstasis. I have a low resistance viral infections, one of which was MRSA that put me into hospital (in isolation) before Christmas 2008 for 12 days. I was in hospital again Portsmouth in February for nine days for more serious anti-biotic treatment.

Jeannette and I have a daughter, Andrea Michelle, born February 1984, who is a professional actress with an Equity card. More about her can be found on her Facebook site. Her Mum and I are very proud of what she has achieved.

Today we live in a small two-bedroom bungalow in Freshwater, on the Western side of the Isle of Wight. We have the Solent seaway to the north of us, and the English Channel to the south. We are within a 15-minute walk of the beach at Colwell Bay.

Jeannette is the Administrator at the West Wight Social Club. I go there most mornings to sit and write for a few hours as I love the atmosphere. Andrea does shifts behind the bar there when she is "resting".

And happiness is a Diet Coke!