Alan Anthony Russell is a chemical engineer with a flourishing career in the hydrocarbons industry. He was formerly technical director of the largest oil refinery in east Africa and is currently European distribution manager for one of the oil majors.

Alan is widely read with a polymath brain (handy from my point of view) and is one of 11 people to have seen the manuscript in its entirety. His contributions to the book have included questioning my figures on the observable universe’s galaxy to human being ratio, telling me to get my head out of my arse (I guess someone had to) and identifying the single word – joy – encapsulating what The Jolly Pilgrim is about.

However, by far Alan’s most important contribution to the progress and wellbeing of human civilisation has been as the husband of Claire Anne Russell (see above) and as the father of Matilda Russell (ditto).