Phil Watts grew up in the small town of Chertsey in Surrey. After graduating from Cambridge University, he spent his career working as a teacher, an educational psychologist and educational services leader working on behalf of children, particularly those with additional needs and disabilities. In addition, he established an IT software company and an organisational development consultancy. He is the co-author of several professional textbooks.Following his retirement, he began his interest in family history, recently publishing his new book, based on his detailed research about the life and times his Great Grandmother Lizzie Watts. He is working on a further book about other individual ancestors from his family tree, who are varied figures and characters of interest in their own times.He is a passionate amateur cook, a keen bridge player, and has continuing interests in music, comedy, classic cars and children's futures. Until the onset of Covid-19 he and his wife were avid travellers around all parts of the globe. In addition, a previous highlight of their year was their annual 'pilgrimage' to the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival. Over many years, he and his wife have amassed a collection of over 1,500 cheap-and-cheerful vintage cruets, as well as old postcards, some of which feature in his recent book 'Lizzie Watts'.