Michael Simpson was born in Manchester in 1939 and moved to Hampshire in 1945. Education at Prices School, Fareham was followed by a three year management training programme in London and then 2 years National Service in the Royal Signals as a Special Operator with Wireless Intelligence in Germany. Following Army release in 1961 he moved to live and work in Germany before returning to the UK in 1967 following his marriage and birth of his son. He then trained as an Export Salesman and for the next thirty five years worked for a number of companies in the textile trade in the UK, Switzerland and Germany travelling widely all over the world. Following retirement he gave English lessons to senior management personnel in leading German companies.