About Richard Oppenheimer

I live in a small rural community in North Staffordshire. I live on a former smallholding with an old house and some land, from where I run Appraisal360 - my 360 degree feedback bureau service . Much of my time and energy is taken up working on the land and renovating the property which has fallen into disrepair over the years. I moved back there recently, my father - who was an avid tree collector - bought the place back in the 1960’s. Now there is a substantial arboretum, and although I do not have anything like the knowledge that he did, I try my best to look after it.

Before that I lived in Milton Keynes for a number of years where I had an average suburban house with an average suburban garden on an average suburban estate. I decided that things had to change so I sold my house to move here, and shortly after that I took voluntary redundancy from my job in the telecoms industry where I had worked since I was 18 and decided to make a fresh start to my life.

My first move is to set up a small company specialising in multimedia services over the internet. It remains to be seen how things will work out, but right now I am getting used to being freed from the chains which surround you when you spend your life subsumed by a big corporation.

My main pastime before I moved here was ice skating. Milton Keynes has an excellent rink and I used to go there at least once a week, I had many friends there and if I am in the area now I still drop in of an evening. Unfortunately there is no rink near here and so I started a weekly Ceroc class (www.ceroc.com).

Of course to make a success of my new business means learning new skills – and courses at the local college are starting to feature in my daily commitments. I’m still finding my way, but getting there.

My two children live in Leamington Spa, just south of Birmingham, they also are an important part of my life. When their mother and I went our separate ways I determined that I would be as good a father as was humanly possible, they will be the judge of that. I hope I am succeeding. If so, credit has to go equally to their mother who is, after all that has happened still a wonderful and resourceful mother and a good friend.

I spent several years campaigning for the rights of separated fathers. I would like to think that I made a difference – nobody who has not been close to it can understand how hard it is to be a separated father and how much the system is stacked against them. I befriended separated parents from all walks of life, I researched the work of academics and spent many happy days talking with researchers. I was given credits in their books and reports. I worked my way into the corridors of power in Westminster, I sat eyeball to eyeball with Government ministers, I argued the case as best I knew how – and came out understanding how our democracy really works. It’s not what you might think – now I do other things with my time and my energy.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot. More recently I went to Zimbabwe in summer 2001 to witness the spectacular solar eclipse, traveled to the Victoria falls and the game reserves. I’ve been twice to Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. And learned how to open a coconut from the locals on a coral island in Fiji.

Who knows what the future will bring. I hope for love, happiness stability and prosperity – for my children as well as for myself. Time will tell.